Danny Phantom: Pairing Off
by Aaron12
Summary: After two separate battles involving Skulker and Technus causes them to be captured simultaneously, the result is the newly merged SkulkTech 9.9. Skulker is all-too willing to reap the benefits of this joining, but Technus has has plans of his own which don't include his new partner. Can Team Phantom (and an irritated Ember) shut them both down and stop a high-tech takeover?


Author's Note: Welcome, one again, to the sixth story in my Danny Phantom series. For those loyal readers who have been waiting over a year for this, let me just say that I am very, Very, VERY sorry that it took this long. While those who have been reading my stories as a whole will be aware that I've haven't exactly been slacking off this year, it did take me quite a while to get back into my DP groove. And the fact that recent weeks and months have been plagued with various distractions and complications has hardly helped matters. Nevertheless, here's my latest work and I sincerely hope it's been worth the wait.

Now, for those of you who are are reading one of my stories for the first time, well, let's just say you've got some catching up to do. Here's my current list of previous stories to help you on your way...

"Facing the Future"  
"Strength In Numbers"  
"Bad Breakup"  
"Trial By Fire"  
"Hearts and Minds"

Well, that should be enough of my shameless self-promotion. Time to get on with the show. Enjoy.

Danny Phantom: Pairing Off

By Aaron

It was evening…the dinner rush. And the environment was pretty much "business as usual" at a place like Nasty Burger_,_ crawling from floor to ceiling with its usual clientele of carnivores. Of course, Sam was doing her best to ignore everyone else around her, all gorging on their dinners of death. After all, between her salad and her Tofu Soy Melt sandwich, she was secure in her righteousness. And as long as she kept her eyes on her own meal and ignored the sounds of slurping and gulping going on around her, it would be enough for her…hopefully.

Taking a huge bite of her sandwich and chewing hard in defiance, Sam didn't even notice a little trail of sauce dribbling from her bottom lip. Fortunately, someone else was quick to notice. And a moment later, Sam felt a light dabbing on her chin, turning to see Danny with napkin in hand, looking into her eyes with a loving grin.

Right at that moment, it was as if nothing else going on around her seemed to matter. Sam could just barely manage to stifle a bashful giggle as she instinctively focused all her attention on Danny. Even Tucker and Valerie, who were both sitting just across the table, might as well have been on the other side of world as Sam tossed a warm smile of her own in Danny's direction, gently tickling him under his chin. Of course, with Danny and Sam, this had become an all-too common reaction, so Tucker simply responded with an amused eye roll. Valerie, however, found herself tossing a stray glance in Tucker's direction, and a look of worry crossed her face.

Just then, an uneasy feeling began to creep up deep in the pit of Sam's stomach. She couldn't quite describe it. It was almost as if she could feel someone walking on her grave. But she only ever got this feeling whenever three people were around; her parents…and…Without a pause, Sam turned around and sure enough. Looking down at her was none other than Paulina, her face almost twisted into a deathly scowl.

"What…could you…POSSIBLY want?" Sam spoke out, her voice weighted down with absolute contempt.

Paulina didn't offer a verbal response. She simply turned in a huff and walked away, leaving everyone at the table to wonder just what she was trying to accomplish. After all, why would Sam, of all people, even care about getting snubbed by someone like Paulina?

"Okay, what was that about?" Tucker uttered as Paulina stormed away. Just then, he happened to look back and see Danny and Sam's hands instinctively reaching out to each other on the table, their fingers softly locking together.

"Oh, wait a minute," Tucker blurted out, fighting the urge to laugh as his eyes went wide. "You don't think…"

"What?" Danny immediately asked.

"Well, think about it," Tucker explained. "Paulina's always thought that she's better than Sam, right? But now, look where we are. Here we've got Sam, happy with the guy she wants. And Paulina's, well…"

"Whoa, hang on!" Sam exclaimed in disbelief, "You think she's mad just because I have a boyfriend and she DOESN'T? Come on! I mean, I know this is Paulina we're talking about, but seriously. No one is THAT shallow."

"Oh no, trust me," Valerie spoke assuredly with a straightforward nod, "I used to hang with her, remember? Take it from someone who knows, she is every bit that shallow."

"Oh really?" Sam replied with an evil glint in her eye as she noticed Paulina heading for the door, instantly raising her voice to make sure Paulina could hear it. "Aw gee, that's a crying shame!"

Paulina didn't even turn around to respond. But her whole body immediately tensed up and her left eye twitched as she gritted her teeth and made her way out the door. That reaction alone was more than enough for Sam, who couldn't help but curl her lips in a smile of wicked satisfaction. However, her actions didn't draw the same approval out of Danny.

"Aw, Sam, be nice," he cautioned, his concern more for Sam than Paulina, "Come on, you want to start acting like HER now?"

At that moment, Sam paused to consider Danny's words, thinking about what she had just done. Suddenly, her eyes went wide as she began to realize the potential consequences of where that kind of road could take her. And the mere thought of becoming in ANY way like Paulina just made Sam's whole body shudder in pure, unrelenting horror.

"Okay, you've got a point," she had to agree, her voice trembling slightly, "It's a SCARY point, but it's still a good point."

Danny could only smile in response, all too happy to be able to preserve his lady's honor as he leaned in a softly kissed Sam's cheek. Sam, meanwhile, offered a shy smile in return as she was about to go back to where she was before, focusing all her attention on Danny and shutting the world out. But just then, a quick jingle of shrill beeps in the sound of a funeral dirge escaped from her watch.

"Oh, man! Is it that late ALREADY?! I've gotta go!" Sam exclaimed in panic.

"Oh, right! You're doing a poetry reading at that bookstore tonight, aren't you?" Danny added, slapping himself in the forehead as Sam immediately started wolfing down the last of her food, nodding in reply.

"Uh, dude…doesn't that mean YOU'RE in a hurry now, too?" Tucker asked, realizing that Danny hadn't even finished half his meal yet.

"Huh? Me? Oh, I'm not going," Danny answered simply as Sam slurped down the last of her soda and wiped her mouth with a hefty swipe of her napkin.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Valerie chimed in, more than a little surprised by Danny's somewhat un-chivalrous answer. "She's your girlfriend and you're NOT going to her poetry reading?"

"Look, believe me, I know how it sounds," Danny replied defensively. "But it's really not what you think."

"When Danny and I got together, we came to an agreement. It was the only way I could concentrate. See, I have to get into my dark place whenever I'm reading OR writing any of my poetry…" Sam explained, pausing to flash a dark, menacing leer towards Valerie and Tucker before turning to look into Danny's eyes with a warm, loving smile.

"…and the thing is…I just can't do that whenever Danny's around."

"Yeah, I…guess I make her too happy," Danny added with a hollow laugh, turning to Sam with the same gentle grin. Still, even as they leaned in, gently nuzzling each other, Tucker couldn't avoid teasingly throwing his two cents into the conversation.

"Aaawww, that's actually kinda swee…"

"Aaah shaddap…," Sam cut him off with a soft, murmuring tone, even though she was still lost in Danny's eyes.

"Yes ma'am," Tucker chuckled as he held up his hands in submission, letting Danny and Sam continue to have their moment as they shared a soft peck. Unfortunately, it was not a moment that was theirs to have as Sam had to face the bitter truth.

"I've gotta go now," she sighed heavily, a slight whine in her voice. But it wasn't going to stop her from enjoying just one more moment as she gently cupped Danny's face in her hands and pressed her lips to his a long, tender kiss.

It was a kiss that lingered on much longer than it probably should have, even as Sam slid out of the booth, pulling Danny's face along with her. Danny, meanwhile, was all too willing to let Sam's hands take him away, like a puppy on a leash.

"…love you…love you…love you…" they murmured together in between soft pecks as their lips finally parted and Sam managed to tear her hands away, heading for the door.

Danny was leaning so far out of the booth at the time that when Sam let him go, he nearly fell flat on his face with a surprised yelp. Sam, however, didn't dare turn to look back. She knew if she looked at him just once more, she'd never be able to leave. So she tried her best to shut it out of her mind as she headed out the door. Danny, meanwhile, simply righted himself and scooted back into the booth, propping his head up on the table.

"Okay…now what?" he asked dryly, suddenly seeming very listless.

Just then, as if in answer to his question, a familiar cold chill slithered down his spine as his Ghost Sense kicked in. Instinctively, Danny whirled around to look outside the window, and sure enough. Floating down the street, each with an eerie green glow of ecto-energy, was a small clutter of batteries, electronic gizmos and appliances. And Danny had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he realized it could only mean one thing.

"H-ooookay, NOT the time killer I was hoping for. But I guess I'll take it," he muttered with a huff as he slipped out of the booth and ran for the door.

"Danny, wait!" Valerie shouted as Danny disappeared outside, turning her attention back to Tucker. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

"Aw, don't worry. He'll be fine. Besides, it's good for him to keep busy like this," Tucker replied, seemingly unconcerned as Danny transformed and flew off. His true motive, however, was made all-too clear a moment later as he pleasantly helped himself to the food Danny left behind, causing Valerie to roll her eyes in annoyance.

* * *

While Danny was flying through the streets of Amity Park to investigate, Sam was at Skulk and Lurk Books, standing in the corner, waiting for her turn to come up onstage. Letting out a heavy sigh as she held her black poetry book tight against her chest, it was impossible for her to deny that she missed not having Danny around. But then, this was the kind of mood she wanted to be in, to be able to reach her "dark place", where she felt her most creative. And she would need that creativity in the next few seconds, because just then, one of the store associates walked up to the microphone and prepared to speak.

"And now," he announced with dead eyes and an even deader voice, "Prepare to be dragged into the ebon pits of despair with Amity Park's very own 'Princess of Darkness'…Samantha Manson."

"Hey! For the last time, it's SAM Manson!" Sam's voice snapped at him from offstage, "You call me Samantha again and I'll set your teeth on fire!"

No doubt about it, Sam had definitely entered her "dark place" as she stomped onto the stage. However, this seemed to matter little to the employee, who simply shrugged in response. The patrons in the audience also seemed equally indifferent as they sat with their heads propped up on tables, each seemingly locked in their own personal dungeon of turmoil.

Little did Sam know, as she took her place behind the microphone, that she had another spectator for her upcoming performance. Scanning the store from a rooftop across the street with an infrared scope and a special audio receiver, Skulker smiled wickedly as he anticipated the hunt that was about to begin. No doubt about it, the trophy value had definitely gone down now that Danny was no longer the only half-ghost flying around. But if nothing else, it DID give Skulker more trophy options.

"Oh…you'll know what it's like to be pulled into despair, little girl," he boasted as he prepared himself to strike, "When I have peeled the hide from your carcass with my own two hands."

* * *

Danny, meanwhile, was unaware of Sam's predicament as he streaked through the streets of Amity Park, following the gaggle of floating electronics to their final destination. Eventually, they'd reached the end of their journey and Danny immediately ducked back behind the corner of a nearby building to peer around and see what was happening. Sure enough, as Danny had suspected, it was none other than Technus, cackling away as he assembled yet another collection of technology for one of his schemes. But Danny was in no mood to wait and find out what it was.

"Excellent, EXCELLENT! Soon this world will be forced to grovel at my feet as I, TECHNUS, Master of…AAAH!" Technus' boasts were cut off as a pair of full blast Ghost Rays hit him square in the back, slamming him into the brick wall of a house across the street.

"I know I really should feel guilty for doing that!" Danny called over with a smirk, his hands blazing with ecto-energy as Technus struggled to his feet. "But the thing is…you just make it so EASY!"

"If you wish to lecture others on predictability, child, perhaps you should consider correcting your own faults in that area!" Technus replied, "For example, you might wish to give some thought towards updating that tired look of yours. After all, EVERYONE can benefit from an upgrade every now and then!"

With a wave of his hand, Technus summoned forth a swarm of electric razors from his pile of electronics, sending them all buzzing towards Danny like a school of hungry piranha. Luckily, Danny was quick to react, entering his phasing state and letting the mass of whirring metal blades pass harmlessly through him. However, he wasn't about to leave it at that as he grabbed a handful of shaver cords, twirling them in his hand before throwing them back in Technus' direction, pinning him to the wall by his coat and cape.

"Sorry pal, but I'm pretty sure any styling tips from YOU would only be a step backwards!" Danny argued as he burst towards Technus at top speed, "Besides, my girl happens to think I look just fine the way I am!"

* * *

"'…And there, in my agony and sorrow, I lie in wait. Waiting for the darkness to come and engulf my soul…like a kiss that I know will forever be denied me'," Sam recited from her book, her voice appropriately dreary. As she looked out over the room, she could feel in her heart, every word that escaped her lips at that moment. Somehow, without Danny by her side to cuddle up to, the world just didn't feel like it should.

Unfortunately, teenage loneliness was about to become the least of her problems. No sooner had she completed the final stanza of her poem, than her Ghost Sense suddenly activated to its fullest, jolting through her body as the icy breath escaped her lips. A mere second later, two missiles burst through the door of the shop, spiraling at top speed towards her.

Sam had to think fast. Leaping back just as the missiles slammed into the stage, she managed to phase through the back wall into the alley behind the store, using the explosion to hide her ghost powers from the crowd. Of course, even if anyone HAD seen her do anything, it was unlikely that any of them would have reacted as the entire audience remained hunched over their tables, their eyes still glued to the stage in a listless stupor.

"A bit much at the end, don't you think?" one of the audience members at the closest table remarked dryly as another nodded in agreement.

Just then, Skulker bashed his way into the shop, finally drawing a reaction out of the store patrons, who rushed outside in a panic once they finally realized that the previous explosion was not part of the act. But to Skulker, such insects were of little importance. He only had his eye on one specific prey at that moment. And he was about to get everything he was looking for as Sam phased back through the wall, now transformed into her ghostly form of Sam Tasma.

"Of all the places you had to show up at!" she fumed, clearly angered at Skulker for demolishing one of her prime hangouts, "You had to come HERE?!"

"A skilled hunter works best by establishing a prey's pattern of behavior…especially predictable ones," Skulker unrepentantly declared, lashing out with a ghost net flying towards Sam. But Sam immediately responded, by shooting a pair of Ghost Ray Blades from her hands, spinning like a top and slicing the net to shreds.

"And just how well does the 'skilled hunter' work when HE'S the one being hunted?!" Sam shot back, bursting across the room towards him.

Before Skulker could even think to launch another attack, Sam had already reached him, forming a cocoon of ecto-energy around her fist in the shape of a solid anvil. That same fist was exactly what smashed into Skulker's face a second later, sending him crashing through the store's plate glass window and bouncing into the street.

"And I am NOT paying for that!" Sam shouted at him before flying outside to press her attack.

While Sam's fight with Skulker was just getting started, Danny's battle with Technus had been raging all across Amity Park, finding them both rocketing through the neighborhood where Skulk and Lurk Books was located. Danny was moving in fast, forcing Technus to throw up a circuit board-shaped shield of ecto-energy to protect himself. Luckily, Danny was every bit as quick with his own reflexes, firing a freezing Ghost Ray which froze the shield solid. But Danny wasn't about to stop there as he burst ahead at top speed. And following up his attack with a vicious punch, Danny not only shattered the shield, but very nearly Technus' jaw as the force of the blow sent him sailing down the street.

Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, Sam's assault on Skulker was every bit as relentless as Skulker unleashed a barrage of missiles to put some distance between them and gain some breathing room. But Sam wasn't about to let that stand as she let loose a wave of Ghost Ray strands, catching each one of Skulker's projectiles. Pausing only to spin around and redirect the missiles with their own momentum, Sam loosened the strands, sending Skulker's own missiles back towards him and slamming into his armored body.

The force of the explosion sent Skulker flying back down the street, with Sam charging right after him. But just at that moment, Skulker happened to go sailing right past Technus, who had been knocked in the opposite direction, with Danny in hot pursuit.

"Danny?!"

"Sam?!"

No one was more surprised than Danny and Sam to discover that their individual conflicts had somehow found themselves crossing paths. But neither one of them had any complaints as they laid eyes on each other, the battles themselves suddenly melting into the back of their minds. And as both flew within reach, neither could resist pulling the other close with a warm hug, followed by a quick, but meaningful peck on the lips.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked, although she was simply too happy to see Danny to really even care what the answer was.

"Oh, same old, same old," Danny answered, his mood suddenly turning light and happy as well, "Just keeping 'Mr. Wizard' over there from jump-starting one of his 'world domination' schemes. Speaking of which, can you hold that thought?"

"Right," Sam noted as they both streaked off to deal with their respective opponents. A torrent of Ghost Rays, missiles, lasers and electrical blasts soon followed before Skulker and Technus were sent flying back the way they came, allowing Danny and Sam to continue their conversation.

"What about you? What's going on HERE?" Danny asked, noting Skulker's presence.

"See previous answer," Sam replied with a shrug. "I mean, you know him. I guess he thought he'd have an easier time coming after me."

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding," Danny blurted out, fighting the urge to laugh before his attention was diverted once again. "Oops. Sorry, just a sec…"

"Yeah, me too," Sam agreed as the pair burst off in their opposite directions. Once again, streams of Ghost Rays and lasers cut through the air. Even some electrical appliances like a dryer, a television and an electric iron were sent flying. But seconds later, Skulker and Technus were again sent blasting back past each other, allowing Danny and Sam to meet in the middle once more.

"You know what really gets me, though?" Sam continued on. "Did he absolutely HAVE to smash up the bookstore while he was at it?"

"No way…!" Danny exclaimed, "He did what?!"

"I know! I mean, really! Couldn't he have at least waited until I was walking past a steakhouse or a car dealership?! You know, someplace that WOULDN'T be missed?!" Sam answered, her rather predictable response drawing an amused eye roll from Danny before she shifted her focus back to the subject at hand. "Whoop…hang on."

At that moment, Danny and Sam split off again, flying headlong into their separate battles. Of course, by this time, Technus and Skulker had both had more than enough of getting bounced around like rubber balls. But they hardly had any choice in the matter as they whirled around just in time for Danny to freeze Technus solid with a pair of freezing Ghost Rays while Sam wrapped Skulker up tight in a wave of her Ghost Ray strands. But Sam wasn't done yet as she heaved back hard, turning on the ball of her foot and sending Skulker spinning like a shot put before finally letting him go.

Danny has just barely enough time to leap out of the way as Skulker slammed into Technus' frozen body. The ice Danny had trapped him in shattered on impact, but the collision had apparently done just as much damage to Skulker's armor. And when it was over, Technus was tangled up in the wiring of Skulker's suit, both of them raising a commotion as they struggled to free themselves.

"What…?! Get off me, you…!"

"Excuse me, I'm stuck. I cannot move…"

"Stop pulling! You're only making things worse…!"

"Do you mind?! I think I know just a LITTLE bit of what I'm doing…!"

Danny, meanwhile, had had just about enough of this comedy of errors, pulling out the Fenton Thermos in order to bring the fight to a welcome end. Sam, meanwhile, was no sorrier to see them go as Skulker and Technus gasped before each letting out a yell of panic. But their cries did nothing to alter their situation. Within seconds, they were both sucked into the Fenton Thermos and sealed up tight.

"Well…at least he was decent enough to wait until I was finished my reading," Sam added with a shrug.

"Really? How'd that go?" Danny asked as they flew off. "Did they love it or hate it or…? Sorry, I forget which one is supposed to be the GOOD response with you guys."

* * *

"Well, that takes care of that," Danny stated, emptying the Fenton Thermos into the Ghost Zone.

"And it looks like we've still got a couple hours before I have to be home," Sam added, looking up at the wall clock as they both changed out of their ghost forms, "Any ideas?"

"Hmmm…," Danny mused, rolling his eyes playfully as he pretended to be thoughtful. But as he turned back to Sam, the warm grin on his face was a clear indication that he didn't need to think hard for an answer at all.

"Make out in the Ops Center?"

Sam didn't even have to offer up an answer for an invitation like that. All she needed to do was look into Danny's eyes with a loving smile before hugging his arm and walking alongside him up the stairs.

"Mmmmm," she cooed in Danny's ear, squeezing tighter and snuggling against his shoulder. "I love the way you think."

Back in the Ghost Zone, however, the atmosphere was nowhere near as upbeat. As Technus rematerialized in the void, he could only grit his teeth in anger. At that moment, all he could think about was this latest encounter with Danny Phantom and the thorough humiliation he had just suffered.

"Once again, that infernal ghost child has upset my plans!" he shouted, as always, too lost in the sound of his own voice to care if his words meant anything to anyone. "I cannot allow his interference to go on for even one moment longer!"

"What was that?" a gruff voice sounded from overhead, "Why can I still hear that fool's grating voice echoing in my ears?"

"Uh…who said that?" Technus asked, trying to look around only to discover that, curiously, he was unable to turn his head.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of something from his topmost field of vision as he lifted his gaze upward to see Skulker's head looking down at him. Instinctively, Technus tried to back away, only to learn that he was rooted to the spot, unable to move at all. Even more confusing.

For some inexplicable reason, the image of Technus' face could be seen emerging from Skulker's chest plate, like a view screen. But how was this possible? It was almost enough to make one think that…Technus had fused with Skulker's armor! It took only a few seconds for both of them to unravel what was happening as they shared the same stunned gaze. But once the realization finally set in, there was only one response either one of them could give…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

"How did you get into my armor, you insufferable lout?!" Skulker shouted, his surprise quickly giving way to anger. "Remove yourself this instant!"

"Perhaps your limited intellect is incapable of grasping even a concept THIS simple!" Technus argued, clearly no happier with the current predicament. "But if I KNEW how to split myself away from this primitive smattering of refuse you so amateurishly refer to as technology…DON'T YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE IT ALREADY?!?!?!"

Suddenly, no sooner had Technus unleashed his outburst than a missile launcher burst out from Skulker's left shoulder and fired. The missile shot through the void for several yards before its fuel died out. But suddenly, two small compartments on the missile blew open, firing two smaller missiles that spiraled onward around each other before slamming into a floating rock face with a thunderous explosion.

"That was my splitter missile. How did you do that?" Skulker asked in bewilderment. "And do you mind? Those kinds of armaments are NOT easy to come by."

Technus was every bit as surprised at Skulker by what had just happened. But after taking a second to ponder the situation, a theory began to form. One that Technus was curious to put to the test as he firmly scrunched his brow in concentration. Suddenly, every single hidden weapon that Skulker's armor possessed sprang to life, primed and ready. Skulker's eyes went wide in alarm as every function of his armor was instantly activated. Technus, however, already understood what was happening all too well.

"Hmmmm, interesting," he thought out loud with a sinister grin, "It would seem the events that have confined me to this armor have also allowed me to act as its operating system. Perhaps not the most ideal situation…"

"…Nevertheless, this is an opportunity that cannot be overlooked."

"What are you blathering about?!" Skulker exclaimed, becoming more impatient by the second. "And WHAT did you do to my armor?!"

"Oh, this is going to be even easier than I thought…," Technus murmured under his breath with wicked amusement before turning his attention back to Skulker. "Say hunter…if you would be so kind as to spare me a moment of your time, I believe I have a proposal that just MIGHT be to your liking…"

* * *

The streets of Amity Park were still relatively clear as most of the town's citizens had yet to begin their day. A time of day perfect for Technus and Skulker's liking as they flew overhead, phasing through the rooftop of a large electronics store. Or at least it was perfect for Technus, who peered all around, his eye scanning every piece of technology in the building with an almost childlike glee.

Would you mind explaining to me what we're doing, SNEAKING into this building in the dead hours of the morning?" Skulker demanded, clearly far less enthusiastic as Technus continued to gaze upon the treasures before him. "I thought you agreed that you would lend your abilities to helping me hunt the ghost children."

"Now, now," Technus answered calmly with an evil smirk as he continued looking over the merchandise of the store. "You of all people should know that a true hunter values patience. All our goals shall be reached in due time. However, before that can happen, this so-called 'armor' is going to require many extensive upgrades."

"Hmph!" Skulker huffed defiantly as Technus began radiating his ghostly abilities through the armor, collecting every machine in the store into one enormous mass. "I'll have you know that this armor has served me just fine over the years."

"Oh, of course," Technus replied sarcastically. "Your track record against the ghost child alone speaks for itself. Oh…wait…WHAT track record against the ghost child?"

"And I suppose YOU just happen to have the perfect plan to turn the tables, do you?" Skulker argued.

Technus could only let out a heavy, whiny sigh as he continued to amass his collection of technology from the store. Just then, one of Skulker's arm-mounted laser cannons popped out from its compartment. But instead of a devastating blast of energy, the beam was diffused into a soft light, displaying a three-dimensional holographic blueprint of Technus' ultimate idea.

"Hmmm," Skulker mused with a sinister grin as the glowing image rotated before his eyes. "Then again…EVERYTHING is negotiable."

* * *

"Whoa…Skulker AND Technus last night?" Tucker exclaimed as he walked down the street behind Danny and Sam, with Valerie right beside him. "Sounds like YOU guys had your hands full."

"Why didn't you call us?" Valerie chimed in. "We COULD have helped."

"Ah, it wasn't a big deal. We handled it okay," Sam replied dismissively, although Valerie, who was not particularly pleased with that answer, flashed a stern frown behind her and Danny.

"Still…it would have been nice to know you guys were alright," Valerie debated, trying to make her case as politely as she could. "As it is, Danny left half his food on the table when he ran off last night."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry. I'm sure someone found room for it…Right Tucker?" Danny stated as he and Sam looked over their shoulders to flash Tucker a sly grin.

"Uuuuhhh, well…" Tucker stammered, rubbing the back of his head and rolling his eyes nervously.

"Typical," Sam declared teasingly, though neither she nor Danny was particularly surprised by Tucker's reaction.

"Yeah, well…he couldn't have missed it that much, considering he never came BACK," Tucker protested, suddenly flashing a knowing smirk of his own in Danny and Sam's direction. "What, too busy making out in the Ops Center again?"

"Uuuuhhh, well…" Danny stammered, rubbing the back of his head and rolling his eyes nervously while Sam merely answered with a bashful smile in Danny's direction, the blush in their cheeks clearly visible.

"Mmmmm hmmmm," Tucker replied smugly.

Valerie, meanwhile, remained silent, although there was a certain look of disapproval in her eyes as she watched the verbal exchange play out. Before she had a chance to express any thoughts, however, Danny and Sam's spines jolted straight as their Ghost Senses kicked in. A moment later, an iron and a car stereo floated past them down the street, each emitting an all-too familiar eerie glow.

"Technus?" Sam asked curiously.

"has to be," Danny answered. "But why? I mean, usually when we dump one of those creeps back into the Ghost Zone, we can at least count on things to stay quiet for a week or two."

"You really want to stand there, trying to figure it out?" Valerie interrupted. "What are we waiting for?"

"Good point," Sam agreed, not wasting a second as she and Danny transformed.

"Just hang tight," Danny added. "This shouldn't take long."

"Hey, WAIT…!" Valerie shouted as Danny and Sam burst into the sky and disappeared. "Oh, fabulous. So what does that make us, huh? The goofy sidekicks?"

"You get used to it," Tucker replied plainly with a shrug. "Actually, it…has a certain quiet dignity."

"Yeah, right," Valerie argued, grabbing Tucker by his shirt collar as her armor appeared over her body, blasting off on her rocket sled in the direction Danny and Sam had flown.

* * *

Tracking from the sky, it wasn't hard to discover where the floating electronics were eventually converging upon as Danny and Sam landed in front of the electronics store. And as they slowly floated inside, the shattered windows and smashed aisles only added to the feeling of menace they felt welling up in their chests. A feeling that only surged deeper within them as they reached the rear of the store and found all the acquired devices piled high into one glowing, pulsating mound.

"Okay Technus, I don't know what you're up to!" Danny announced at the swelling mass of metal and wire, "But you might as well come on out of there so we can kick your butt…"

"…AGAIN…," Sam interjected.

"…and call it a day!" Danny concluded.

Just then, a sound of muffled laughter could be heard coming from the within the mountain of electronics. But there was something odd about it. It actually didn't sound like Technus at all. Well, part of it did, but…it was almost as though there were TWO people inside.

Suddenly, the mound began to flash and shudder violently, forcing Danny and Sam to take a step back, unsure of what was happening. A second later, a massive black metal fist smashed through the top of the pile, followed by another. And with a bellow of fury, a large body began to tear itself from the debris, like a bird being hatched from an egg. But although Danny and Sam couldn't quite get a clear look at what was emerging, it clearly didn't look like Technus. The upper body was too big, too bulky. And the head was doused in green flame. In fact, if Danny and Sam didn't know better, it actually looked more like…

"Skulker?!" Sam exclaimed as the hulking figure slowly turned around to face them.

It was only as the sight met their eyes that Danny and Sam gasped in unified shock. Granted, who they were facing certainly appeared to be Skulker, but it was clearly not the Skulker of old. His head, once giving the appearance of flaming hair, was now completely bathed in green fire. The upper body of his armor was larger, black with glowing circuitry. And his legs had been completely replaced with a green spectral tail. But what was even more stunning was the sight of Technus' face, grinning evilly from a circular view screen in Skulker's chest…and a belt buckle featuring the letters "ST". They…they actually looked like that future version of themselves that Clockwork sent back in time to fight Danny!

"Not exactly," Skulker replied with a grim smirk. Technus, meanwhile, merely cackled wildly as Danny and Sam could only look on in disbelief.

"Oh, yes, ghost children, today is a brand new day!" Technus gloated while Danny and Sam stood rooted to the spot. "Prepare to tremble in fear as your greatest nightmare has come to life! For we are neither Skulker NOR Technus! From this day forth, we are…!"

"Uh, excuse me," Skulker interrupted, not appearing to be particularly impressed as he tapped the side of Technus' view screen. "Exactly what do you think you're doing?"

"I beg your pardon," Technus asserted. "But I believe we agreed that I would be the one to give out the threatening, way-cool introductions, did we not?"

"No, YOU agreed to that," Skulker answered dryly, "I agreed to no such thing."

That was all it took. Within a matter of seconds, the moment instantly dissolved into a back-and-forth flurry of bickering that Danny and Sam couldn't even make out. However, it DID give them both the chance to shake off their combined alarm and turn to each other, desperately trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Danny, what's going on?" Sam whispered as she and Danny turned their backs to the arguing pair. "I mean, that can't really be THEM, can it? Do you think maybe Clockwork…?"

"Can't be…no Time Medallion," Danny answered, every bit as starved for answers as Sam was. "Whatever happened…I think it really IS them."

"But…how?" Sam couldn't help but ask. "They weren't like that last night. Do you think it happened when we caught them in the Fenton Thermos?"

"It must have," Danny replied, picking up on Sam's thought. "Remember how Technus was all caught up in Skulker's armor when we sucked them in? Something must have fused them together when they rematerialized in the Ghost Zone."

At that moment, Danny and Sam could only turn back to the merged Skulker and Technus, who were still lost in the middle of their prattling. And as amazed as they still were at what they were seeing, one thing was certain. Whatever happened to get them this way, they clearly didn't have the hang of it yet.

"So…what do you want to do?" Sam could only ask with a shrug.

"Well, we can stand around and wait for them to remember what they're doing here, or…," Danny stated, his fists flashing with ecto-energy before unleashing a full-force sphere of Ghost Ray energy which slammed their merged enemies into the rear wall of the store, instantly getting their attention.

"Boys, boys, boys!" Danny called out, following up as Skulker and Technus picked their combined body off the floor, "Can we maybe take this from the top?!"

"So…now what do you want to do?" Technus asked sarcastically in Skulker's direction. "Do YOU want to be the one to…?"

"Oh just get it over with!" Skulker snapped.

"Fine," Technus answered curtly before turning his attention back to Danny and Sam. "Now, as I was saying…We are neither Skulker NOR Technus! From this day forth, we shall be known as…!"

"…SkulkTech 9.9?" Danny and Sam muttered in unison with crossed arms and dull looks, neither of them in the mood for any more wasted time. Besides, they'd already been through the introductions once before, even though Skulker and Technus had no way of knowing that.

"Hey…I like the sound of that," Technus replied, an awed smile crossing his face. "That's MUCH better than the name WE came up with!"

"Indeed," Skulker added with a smirk. "We'll be sure to engrave it on your stuffed trophies."

With that, the newly formed "SkulkTech" sprang to life as seven clawed, metallic tentacles burst from the compartment on its back. But again, this was nothing Danny and Sam hadn't seen before. And Sam, not to be outdone, lashed out with a flurry of Ghost Ray strands, wrapping up each tentacle before SkulkTech had a chance to strike.

"Maybe you haven't been paying attention!" Sam declared confidently as she pulled the strands tight. "But you jokers aren't the only ones who can multi-task!"

"Funny you should mention that," Technus replied with a sinister grin, just as a stream of electricity began surging along each tentacle.

Sam could only gasp in shock as the energy crackled towards her. Luckily, Danny was quick to act as he flashed to the side, slicing Sam's strands free with a stream of Ghost Ray energy. But that wasn't about to stop SkulkTech as Skulker transformed his right hand into a massive cannon, firing a cannonball-sized burst of energy straight towards Danny.

This time, it was Sam's turn to come to Danny's aid as she leaped in front of him, converting the ecto-energy from her hand into the shape of an enormous Viking shield, completely covering them both. At first, SkulkTech's attack appeared to have been successfully blocked, bouncing off the top of Sam's shield and slamming into the ceiling, causing a hail of rubble to fall into the room. But as Sam instinctively looked up, her eyes went wide as she noticed a sizable chunk of her shield had been shattered from where the energy sphere had struck. If that blast had hit Danny…!

"…whoa…" was all Sam could utter as she and Danny exchanged nervous glances.

"Impressive," Skulker noted with a wicked smirk as he prepared to fire again. But to his shock, the cannon refused to fire. Looking down at his wrist, his eyes went wide as he noticed a red bar slowly creeping along a view display, indicating that the cannon actually needed to be recharged after each use. Immediately, he turned to Technus with an annoyed scowl.

"Oh sure, like it's MY fault you didn't read the manual," Technus argued sarcastically. "No matter, we still have other options at our disposal. Activate Fright Fog!"

Suddenly, another cannon-shaped weapon emerged from a compartment on Skulktech's left arm. But instead of an attack, the barrel released billows of a thick, green mist. Without a pause, Skulktech spiraled around as he fired, blanketing the rear of the store in an impenetrable haze.

"Oh, look. It's not enough that it's as THICK as pea soup, it has to LOOK like it, too," Danny remarked, not feeling particularly threatened. "Oh well…too bad we don't need our EYES to find you, huh?"

Danny and Sam wasted no time charging straight into the thick cloud. But once inside, it only took a matter of seconds to realize that something was tragically wrong. They had been planning on using their Ghost Senses to track down SkulkTech in the fog. Unfortunately, the moment they entered, their Ghost Senses began randomly triggering, as if they were completely surrounded by ghosts on all sides.

"Danny, what's happening?" Sam blurted out in confusion, "My Ghost Sense is going nuts! I can't shut it off!"

"I know!" Danny replied, even losing track of Sam in the mist as he became lost in his own wave of chaos. "This fog…it must be laced with some sort of ecto-material to mess up our Ghost Sense. We can't track them in here!"

"How observant of you!" Technus gloated from mist. A second later, two of Skulktech's tentacles slammed into Danny and Sam, knocking them out of the haze towards an enormous shelf at the far at of the store. The hollow frame easily bent and collapsed from the force of the impact, burying both Danny and Sam under an avalanche of twisted metal. It was only then that Skulktech emerged from the cloud, with Skulker wearing a green visor over his eyes.

"Of course, with this handy-dandy Spectral Scope…"

"…we can track YOU just fine," Skulker added, finishing Technus' thought as Danny and Sam remained trapped under the rubble. Suddenly, the energy cannon on Skulker's right hand let out a brief series of rapid beeps, indicating that it was done charging. And both Skulker and Technus could only grin in wicked triumph as Skulker raised his arm to deliver the final blow.

"You know, I really must admit, I'm almost sorry it has to end this way," Skulker declared, although the look on his face clearly showed his immense satisfaction as the cannon barrel flashed wildly. "After all our numerous confrontations, this was sadly…all too easy."

Just then, without warning, the debris covering Danny and Sam exploded away as a gigantic green battering ram with the head of a big-horned sheep came smashing through, courtesy of Sam's ecto-energy. The ram bashed into a shocked Skulktech's chest, throwing his arm upward and causing the blast to fire wildly into the ceiling. But the force of the impact also sent Skulktech crashing through the front doors of the store, bouncing across the street and slamming into a lamppost, which bent over and knocked Skulker on the head. A moment later, Danny and Sam emerged from the rubble. And the look on their faces made it all-too clear that they were not about to be swept aside so effortlessly from just a few new tricks.

"Okay see, now that's one thing I never figured out," Sam noted, dissolving her Ghost Ray battering ram as Danny briefly dusted himself off. "Why do they always think they've won the fight just because they knocked you down one-whole-time?"

"You got me," Danny could only answer with a lighthearted shrug. "But I don't usually go out of my way to complain."

* * *

"You know, upon careful reflection, this could be going better," Technus remarked plainly while Skulker was still left in a daze from being struck in the head.

Just then, Technus happened to shift his gaze towards the pile of newspapers that had fallen out of a newspaper box SkulkTech had slammed into when he'd landed across the street. At the bottom of the front page was a photo of Valerie's father, Damon Grey, working alongside a group of technicians at Axion Labs. But the photo only drew Technus' attention to the small headline above.

"CYBERTRON PROCESSOR VER. 2.0 IN FINAL STAGES FOR LAUNCH"

"Interesting," Technus mused with an intrigued smirk as he quickly skimmed over the story below. "It seems the last 12 hours have been presenting themselves with all SORTS of fascinating opportunities."

"Uunnnh…" Skulker groaned as he began to recover, at which point Technus immediately became silent.

Just then, Tucker and Valerie happened on the scene, just as SkulkTech was pulling himself up. Valerie wasn't entirely sure what to think of the newly merged foe now standing before them. But Tucker's eyes could only go wide in disbelief.

"What the…SkulkTech 9.9?!" he blurted out in surprise, although Valerie could only shrug in confusion.

"Hey, that really IS a good name," Technus stated, sounding rather impressed. "Look how fast it's catching on already."

"All I'M looking at is how quickly we're getting interrupted," Skulker replied as SkulkTech's mechanical tentacles surged back to life, ready to sweep away this new annoyance.

Even though she still had no idea what was going on, Valerie was still all-too-ready to charge straight into the fray. But before she had a chance to jump in, Tucker was already taking actions of his own, pulling out his trusty PDA and tapping away. A second later, a series of beeps in the all-too familiar tones of the William Tell Overture could be heard droning away as SkulkTech's body suddenly seized up.

"What the…?! Oh no…," Skulker's surprised voice withered to a groan, instantly recognizing Tucker's hand at hacking into his armor. A moment later, SkulkTech's rocket pack roared to life, blasting the merged, screaming pair straight up into the sky.

"Okay," Tucker commented dryly. "That's now OFFICIALLY depressing."

"Tucker?!" Danny called as he and Sam flew out of the store. "Are you guys alright?!"

"Danny, what's going on?!" Tucker could only blurt out in confusion. "Skulker and Technus…?! I mean, was that really…? This isn't Clockwork…?"

"Oh trust me, this is definitely NOT future-tense. We're talking here and now," Danny was quick to respond. "Look, I don't get it either. But whatever happened, we're going to have to deal with it. Now where did they go?"

"Well, I'm…not…really sure," Tucker answered nervously, his eyes darting back and forth. "See, they were just about to attack us and…well, I figured, it's worked before. So I just did my PDA thing to hack into Skulker's armor. But I…didn't have time to send them somewhere specific. So I just tapped out some random coordinates and…"

"…And you just blasted them off to parts unknown," Sam chimed in, sounding every bit as irritated as she looked. "Real nice."

"Hey, I'm sorry!" Tucker argued. "Next time, I'll just let myself get ground into hamburger. Will THAT make you feel better?"

"Okay, everyone calm down!" Danny interrupted, trying his best to regain control of the situation. "This isn't helping. Right now, we've gotta hurry if we're going to find him…them…whatever! Let's just go!"

Before Tucker could even think of anything to add, Danny and Sam were already bursting into the sky in search of SkulkTech. An act which did not overly impress Valerie, who felt a little put out herself at being left behind…again.

"Oh, wait…can WE come, too?" she muttered sarcastically under her breath.

"Come on, let's go," Tucker declared, running back down the street in the direction they had just come from. Valerie was unsure what to make of where Tucker was going, but felt it best not to argue as she quickly followed behind.

Meanwhile, Danny and Sam had reached the topmost view over Amity Park, hoping to see if they could catch some view, or even a sense, of the direction Skulktech had gone. But it quickly became apparent that there was little hope for either as they noted swirling wisps of SkulkTech's new Fright Fog lingering in the skies over the city. With their Ghost Senses temporarily useless and SkulkTech's ability to become invisible, the possibility of Danny and Sam locating their newly joined foe was growing fainter by the moment.

"Well, THIS is off to a flying start," Sam remarked, sounding even more annoyed.

"Come on, this way," Danny responded, making it clear that he wasn't about to give up yet as he flew off.

With no better ideas, Sam simply shrugged and followed close behind. However, neither she nor Danny could have possibly known that their target was actually in the opposite direction to where they were going, hiding behind a nearby building as Skulker and Technus watched the pair vanish along the horizon.

"What was THAT about?!" Skulker shouted out angrily. "You told me that as long as you were running this armor, no one would be able to hack into it again!"

"I DID…and no one CAN," Technus replied calmly, "But when I noticed their little computer friend making the attempt, I could hardly turn a blind eye to such a convenient means of escape."

"You mean you deliberately…!" Skulker sputtered, unable to contain his aggravation. "You not only made us both look like utter buffoons out there, but you also made us RUN from our own PREY?!"

"Now, temper," Technus cautioned with a confident air. "You of all people should know that a TRUE hunter strikes when his prey believes themselves to be perfectly safe. Besides, while HE was trying to hack into OUR system, I was given the opportunity to hack into HIS…"

With a smirk, Technus reactivated SkulkTech's laser cannon to a low setting. And a moment later, another holographic image began to play out in front of Skulker's eyes, which grew wide in astonishment.

"…And just look-y what I found."

"Hmmmmm," Skulker mused with a devilish grin as the image of light continued to slowly revolve before him.

Feeling most assured that they were both on the same page again, Technus activated SkulkTech's jet pack and the combined duo blasted away at top speed. Little did either of them know that a silhouetted figure was keeping a close eye on them from behind the entrance of a nearby rooftop, staring with green eyes that slowly narrowed into a pair of angry slits.

* * *

"Wait a minute, so you saw THIS happen in the future, too?" Valerie exclaimed as she and Tucker burst through the doors of the Tucker's office at City Hall and quickly made their way across the lobby. "And you didn't think that MAYBE this was something you should've been ready for?"

"Hey, it was an ALTERNATE future," Tucker responded, still unable to conceal his surprise at what had just happened as he stopped briefly at his secretary's desk. "Obviously, we didn't think it was going to actually HAPPEN. Uh, Tanya…be a dear and hold all my calls for today, will you?"

"Mmm, don't I always?" Tucker's voluptuous receptionist cooed in her usual seductive tone as she flashed an amused grin and continued rattling away on her keyboard.

With that, Tucker and Valerie headed into Tucker's main office, planning to make their way into Tucker's underground bunker beneath City Hall. What neither one of them was aware of, however, was that someone had already beaten them inside. Thanks to the information Technus had collected from Tucker's PDA during Tucker's hacking attempt, SkulkTech was already phasing through the ceiling into the chamber below.

"Well, well, well," Skulker commented as the merged pair couldn't help but gaze in awe at the technological bounty that surrounded them.

"Didn't I tell you?" Technus responded, a sinister grin of anticipation crossing his face.

* * *

"So just how many of these 'alternate' future ghosts did you guys run into during this whole Clockwork thing?" Valerie felt compelled to ask as Tucker pressed the button at the back of his bookshelf to activate the secret elevator doors to the bunker.

"Well, there IS one other one," Tucker answered, walking over to join Valerie inside the elevator. "But I mean, I really don't think that's one's gonna…"

"Maaaybe you oughta tell me anyway," Valerie insisted as the elevator doors began to close. "Considering we're already two for three here…"

Meanwhile, SkulkTech was darting back and forth around the bunker, trying to acquire whatever technological goodies Skulker and Technus could find to assimilate into their merged form. Unfortunately, the collection process was taking far longer than either of them had anticipated, as neither Skulker nor Technus could seem to come to an agreement as to exactly which devices they could make the best use out of.

"What-are-you-doing?" Technus questioned, quite disapprovingly, as Skulker had SkulkTech's mechanical tentacles completely loaded down with a small arsenal of lasers, missiles and various other ghost-hunting armaments.

"What? After all, a hunter can NEVER have too many weapons," Skulker protested turning back to his haul with a gaze of pure enchantment. "And besides, just look at them…So modern…so streamlined…"

"Need I remind you that we are here to acquire very-specific-items," Technus objected, his gaze panning around the room. "We simply cannot allow ourselves to become distracted by every little...OOOOOOOOOOO, SHIIIINY!"

"Oouaa...!" Skulker blurted out as Technus took control, yanking their SkulkTech body across the room and causing Skulker's cache of weapons to slip from Skulktech's tentacles and clatter to the floor in a heap.

* * *

"…And she was the daughter of who and WHO?" Valerie exclaimed, as elevator continued down the shaft. "Eewww, that's…yikes. So…what exactly is going to happen if SHE actually…"

"Oh please," Tucker cut her off with a revolted shudder. "Don't even JOKE."

"Okay, I get it," Valerie replied with an annoyed eye roll as the elevator stopped and the doors began to open. "I'm just saying, what if…?"

Just then, Valerie's words were cut off as she and Tucker walked into the bunker and were stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them. Floating high in the middle of the room, was SkulkTech, hooked up to an endless array of computers, weapons and other devices through a series of wires and mechanical tentacles protruding from Skulker and Technus' new armor. Skulker and Technus, meanwhile, could only look back, wide-eyed themselves, as Tucker and Valerie remained frozen in shock, their jaws hanging open.

"Well…," Technus remarked, his eyes darting back and forth. "Uh…this is awkward…"

Valerie was the first to break out of her stunned mental state, leaping forward as she prepared to activate her armor and charge into battle. But Skulker was quick to act, raising SkulkTech's arm. A split-second later, three wide hoses burst from compartments on SkulkTech's arm and fired thick streams of liquid, knocking Valerie back into the wall and leaving her hanging, trapped in a large, gluey ball.

"…But not entirely unexpected," Skulker added with a smirk.

"Valerie!" Tucker shouted, but there was little he could do as SkulkTech turned to him next, firing a second volley and leaving Tucker hanging right beside her in a second thick, dripping mass.

"How do you like our new Ecto-Adhesive?" Technus gloated. "Perfect for getting certain ghost children or their annoying little sidekicks to…'stick around'."

"Precisely," Skulker chimed in. "Now why don't the two of you…'hang out' for a bit while we conclude our business here."

"You know, what you said didn't really add much," Technus felt the need to note.

"Oh, be quiet," Skulker argued. "I don't recall asking for your advice. Let's just get this over with."

With that, Skulker and Technus returned to their amassing as much technology as they could from Tucker's base for their SkulkTech form. And there seemed to be little Valerie could do, dazed and immobilized from SkulkTech's attack. Luckily, Tucker was in no such straits. His body may have been stuck inside SkulkTech's glue. But as he opened his hand to flip open his cell phone that he'd pulled out of his pocket when SkulkTech was attacking Valerie, it was clear he had no intention of being helpless.

"Oh, I don't mind hanging out…," he muttered under his breath as he scrolled through his list of phone numbers, finally reaching Danny's name.

"…but I hope YOU don't mind if I invite a couple of friends over."

* * *

Halfway across the city, Danny and Sam were still flying around, trying their best to track down SkulkTech. Unfortunately, they had no earthly idea where to start looking. In fact, it was only a matter of time before Sam felt the need to state the obvious.

"You know Danny, we're not really accomplishing anything just blindly flying around like this," she noted, just as Danny's cell phone started to ring. "Maybe we should check with Tucker and see if HE has any ideas."

By the time Sam had finished her suggestion, Danny already had his cell phone to his ear, listening intently to what was happening on the other end. Sam couldn't make it out what Danny was hearing, but the wide-eyed expression on Danny's face made it fairly obvious that it definitely wasn't good.

"What can I say?" Danny hissed through his teeth as he slapped his cell phone shut and an angry scowl crossed his face. "When you're right, you're right."

* * *

Back in the bunker, Technus' shrill, nasal laugh continued to echo through the room as he and Skulker were completing their accumulation of technology. Valerie was still struggling against her gooey restraints with everything she had, but no amount of effort she put forth could even budge her an inch. Tucker, meanwhile, was simply trying to remain calm. After all, he'd made the best move he could make at the moment. All he could do now was hope that it worked.

"Aaaaaand…done!" Technus announced triumphantly as all the wires and tentacles snapped back inside the SkulkTech Armor. "Technological assimilation is now complete. All we need is a little more time to fully integrate these components with our systems."

"Excellent," Skulker responded before turning back to Tucker and Valerie with an evil grin. "So now I suppose the only question now is…what are we going to do with YOU two?"

"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be OUR line!" Danny shouted as he and Sam phased through the ceiling of the bunker, diving towards SkulkTech at top speed.

"Aw nuts…," Technus muttered as Danny and Sam slammed into SkulkTech at top speed, fists first.

Computers, weapons, rubble and dust were blown away by the impact, making it look more like an explosion than a physical attack. Tucker and Valerie, meanwhile, could only look on worriedly as they lost sight of what was happening. Suddenly, a set of Sam's Ghost Ray strands sent SkulkTech flying out of the haze and bashing into the far wall. SkulkTech was pinned to the wall a moment later as each of Sam's strands formed a shackle on the end, binding SkulkTech by the wrists and around the waist.

"Tucker, hang on!" Danny called out, jumping into view and running over to where Tucker and Valerie were trapped. "I'll get you out of there in a sec!"

"Danny, be careful!" Tucker warned. "You really don't want to touch this stuff. It's like taffy."

"Well then, I guess I'm just not going to have to touch it, am I?" Danny remarked with a confident grin, wiggling his fingers before phasing them and reaching inside the gluey ball. But as he tried to pull Tucker free, Danny's eyes went wide as he noticed his hand was somehow stuck inside.

"What the…?!" Danny blurted out in confusion, only to be answered by an evil laugh from Technus.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Technus responded mockingly. "Did we forget to mention that our Ecto-Adhesive is immune to a ghost's intangibility? Must have slipped our minds."

"Our bad!" Skulker chimed in as SkulkTech's mechanical tentacles surged to life, darting straight towards Sam.

Luckily, Sam was able to dodge the attack in time with a set of well-timed jumps. But her momentary lapse of concentration dissolved her Ghost Ray shackles, allowing SkulkTech to escape. Without a pause, Technus activated another of their new SkulkTech weapons, and suddenly, a rotating turret formed around SkulkTech's right wrist. Spinning at top speed with a loud clatter, the turret suddenly fired a rapid-fire volley of small missiles, heading straight towards Sam.

"SAM! NOOO!!!" Danny cried out, forced to watch helplessly as the missiles exploded all around her.

Technus immediately let out another shrill laugh as Skulker chuckled triumphantly. But as the smoke from the explosions began to settle, it was clear that their celebrations were premature. Standing behind one of her Ghost Ray shields, shaped like a simple wooden door, was Sam, safe and sound, though more than a little relieved that she was able to whip up a defense in time.

"Who is it?" she called out teasingly from behind her barrier, trying to ease the tension with a little humor as Danny breathed a heavy sigh of relief to see her unharmed.

Skulker, however, was nowhere near as amused as he growled in anger, unleashing a burst from SkulkTech's massive right hand cannon. Sam, who already knew full well that the cannon was powerful enough to break her shields, was quick to leap to safety from the blast. But SkulkTech was equally as fast, unleashing a swarm of mechanical tentacles towards her. Fortunately, Sam was again quick to counter, fending off SkulkTech's metal limbs with a pair of Ghost Ray blades, a broadsword in one hand and a scimitar in the other. She was doing fairly, but Danny was in no way about to leave her out there alone.

"We've GOT to get out of this," Danny thought out loud, trying desperately to get his hand free as Sam fought for her life. But even with his ghost strength, no matter how hard he tried, there was no way to get his hand free.

"RRRRRR!" Danny shouted in frustration, banging his head against the wall.

Suddenly, the feeling of the cold metal against his skin gave Danny an idea as his eyes went wide. Tucker wasn't sure what Danny was thinking of at first. But as Danny looked up at him with glowing blue eyes, he was quickly beginning to get a general impression.

"Think warm thoughts, Tuck," Danny warned as his body began to glow with freezing ecto-energy. "'Cause there's gonna be a little cold snap coming through."

Concentrating hard to avoid freezing Tucker in the process, Danny released a pulse of freezing ecto-energy through the gummy substance. But Tucker still felt the chilled flashes surging throughout his body as the adhesive froze, quickly becoming coated in an icy shell. And Danny knew he didn't have long to act as he reared back hard and ripped his hand free, shattering the frozen glue in the process and allowing a shivering Tucker to drop to the ground.

"Ho-o-o-o-h-h-h-h...you weren't kidding, Dude," Tucker shuddered as he tried desperately to warm himself.

"One down…," Danny remarked, not wasting a second as he turned his attention towards Valerie.

A pair of freezing Ghost Rays shot from Danny's hands a second later, icing over Valerie's adhesive cocoon as Valerie braced herself against the bitter cold chilling her to the bone. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to endure the frigid sensations for long. An instant later, Danny lunged forward, grazing his fist across her frozen restraint, striking with enough force to crush it while still protecting Valerie from the full force of the impact.

Meanwhile, Sam's fight with SkulkTech continued on, with Sam's Ghost Ray swords still trading blows with SkulkTech's tentacles. She was still managing to hold her own, but that didn't change the fact that SkulkTech was still facing her with a seven-on-two advantage. And that handicap was enough to frustrate her to a breaking point as she lunged forward , shoving SkulkTech's tentacles back in an effort to get some breathing room.

"Okay…I've had just about enough of this!" Sam fumed as she made a surprising move, slamming her swords together.

Neither Skulker nor Technus were sure what to think as Sam's two weapons merged together, twirling around in her hand. But they didn't have to wait long to find out as Sam snapped out her ecto-energy into its new form, taking the shape of a long Ghost Ray scythe. Of course, neither Skulker nor Technus felt particularly threatened after the fact as they let loose with SkulkTech's tentacles once more. However, Sam would be quick to change their minds as she yelled out and slashed through the air in a wide swipe, slicing the ends off every one of SkulkTech's tentacles with a single stroke.

Skulker and Technus could only react with surprise as they saw their mechanical tentacles cleaved away like a field of grain. But their shock quickly gave way to anger as they reactivated SkulkTech's rotating arm turret, unleashing another barrage of rapid-fire missiles in Sam's direction. This time however, Sam was prepared for the assault, forming a cocoon of ecto-energy around herself as the missiles exploded around her. And sure enough, as the dust settled, Sam remained completely unharmed, safely encased within a Ghost Ray shield in the shape of an iron maiden.

"You know, I don't know how it looks from your angle," Sam announced with crossed arms and a confident smirk. "But from where I'M standing, I don't think that move of yours is working all too well."

"So it would seem," Technus responded, turning his attention to Danny, who was just then helping Tucker get Valerie to her feet. "However, I wonder just how appealing the view will look to your friends."

As Sam gasped in shock, Technus fired another rapid-fire salvo of missiles towards Danny, Tucker and Valerie, streaking towards them just as Danny turned around, giving him no time to react. Fortunately, Sam was already on the move, flying in the path of the assault and spreading a wide Ghost Ray strand in front of them to catch each one of the missiles.

The strand stretched like rubber against the pressure of the missiles rockets, with Sam holding fast with everything she had. Still, after all the fighting she'd been doing, even with Danny running up and grabbing her wrists to support her, she began to wonder if she had the strength to hold out. Luckily, a moment later, the rockets finally lost their propulsion. And the strand snapped forward like a slingshot, sending the missiles twirling end over end back towards a shocked SkulkTech.

"…oh, poop…," Skulker and Technus both groaned a split-second before the missiles exploded around them.

Sam fell to her knees a moment later, the battle having taken a real toll on her. Just then, Danny knelt beside her and put his arm around her shoulder, looking into her eyes with a reassuring grin. And at that moment, in spite of everything that had just happened, Sam couldn't help but feel her spirits lift, getting a second wind as she smiled back warmly. But her mood quickly changed as everyone looked up towards the clearing smoke and was shocked to notice that SkulkTech was absolutely nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, I don't believe…They used the explosions to cover their getaway!" Sam yelled, running her hand down her face in frustration.

"Come on, let's move!" Danny shouted determinedly as he and Sam burst into the sky, phasing through the ceiling and disappearing before Tucker or Valerie could even get a word in.

"Oh, hey, don't worry about us. We're just fine…," Valerie muttered under her breath.

"Come on. We'd better find out what they got," Tucker noted, shifting his focus towards a hopefully constructive solution.

* * *

It took only a matter of seconds for Danny and Sam to make their way up from underground and soon they were floating high over Amity Park once again. Of course, their elevation didn't seem to offer any help as it became plainly clear that SkulkTech had disappeared once again. Not a trace of him could be seen, either in the air or on the ground.

"Okay, I'm starting to get tired of this," Sam remarked, slumping her shoulders with a heavy sigh.

"Look, maybe we'd better split up this time," Danny suggested, "You take one side, I'll take the other."

Sam simply responded with a nod and with that, the pair was blasting off in opposite directions. But even though they couldn't see SkulkTech, SkulkTech had no problem seeing them, concealed in the shadows of a dark alley below. Technus was all too happy to let an evil smile cross his face, feeling quite satisfied with yet another successful escape. Skulker, however, had no intention of being in such a contented mood.

"Again, we fight and again, we run," Skulker complained, becoming less and less impressed with their partnership so far. "Just what exactly do you think you're trying to accomplish?"

"Calm yourself, hunter," Technus replied reassuringly. "Granted, these upgrades have done a great deal to close the gap between us and our so-called 'prey'. But even at THIS stage, the best we have been able to accomplish so far is to fight them to a draw. And we still have yet to fully integrate this newly acquired technology into our system. Just imagine how much more powerful we could become once that's accomplished. And now, ask yourself…in the face of such overwhelming potential, are you truly content to merely settle for a 'fair fight'?"

"For your information, I have dedicated every fiber of my being to following the conduct of a proper hunter!" Skulker began to protest, sounding almost offended before answering Technus' question with a devilish grin. "Of course I'm not."

"Then have patience. It will only be just a short while longer," Technus replied, his voice twisted with sinister intent as he flashed a triumphant smirk. "Trust me…Everything is going according to plan."

With that, SkulkTech flew into the sky, searching for a safe retreat for Technus to complete his further upgrades. Meanwhile, from the darkness of an alley across the street, a mysterious onlooker again appeared to be spying on Skulker and Technus' merged form with the same angry green eyes. And as they flew off once again, their shadowy spy raised a delicate, slender, black-gloved hand, clenching it tightly into a fist of rage.

* * *

With no sign of SkulkTech to be seen or sensed, it was only a matter of time before Danny was forced to give up the search. For the moment, it seemed as though there was nothing to do but wait for another opportunity to present itself. Maybe not Danny's favorite course of action ever, but not a matter he seemed to have much choice in either. And as he was flying back, he chanced to notice Sam waving at him from a nearby rooftop, making it perfectly clear that she had pretty much come to the same conclusion.

"So…I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you never found them, huh?" Sam asked simply.

There was no need for Danny to even answer. Instead, he and Sam could only hang their shoulders as they slumped onto the edge of the roof. They were both feeling a little down, considering that SkulkTech had already gotten away from them twice. But considering that they'd both been going full-speed ahead the entire day without a break, a chance to rest and recharge was probably not the worst idea in the world.

"Well," Danny sighed as he and Sam each took a deep breath, giving themselves a chance to slow down, "I've gotta say…so far, this has not been one of our better days."

Suddenly, as if some unseen cosmic force felt the need to prove Danny's point, the roar of an electric guitar ripped through the air behind them. And a force wave shaped like a giant fist smashed into the edge of the roof, sending Danny and Sam flying, eventually rolling to a stop on the other side.

As Danny and Sam snapped to their feet, an all-too familiar image began to emerge in the settling dust from the attack. Of course, Danny and Sam didn't need to see the silhouette of the guitar, the heavy-soled boots or the flaming ponytail to guess the identity of their assailant. There was only one person they knew who relied on attacks like that. But the real question Danny and Sam were asking was, what was she even DOING here? And now, of all times?

"What…have you…done?" the instantly recognizable voice hissed as their attacker began to walk through the haze.

"Ember…?!" Sam finally blurted out in disbelief.

Sam and Danny still had no idea what was going on as Ember finally stepped into view. In fact, the sight of her viciously clutching her guitar with a furious glare across her face only made the situation all the more confusing. However, at that moment, one thing that was perfectly clear. Whatever her reasons were, Ember McLain was not stopping by for a friendly chat.

"WHAT…HAVE YOU…DONE?!?!?!"

* * *

"Why didn't they take the robot?" Valerie asked plainly, tossing a curious gaze up towards Tucker's robot, which stood completely untouched against the far wall of the bunker. "I mean, if they wanted weapons, the robot's the most heavily armed thing in here, right?"

"I'm not sure WHAT they wanted," Tucker replied, rattling away on a keyboard as he tried to assemble as accurate an inventory as he could of the components SkulkTech had taken. "I mean, they took a FEW weapons, sure. But most of this other stuff looks like just basic computer hardware. Cords, drives, ports, circuit boards…I mean, I know Technus can make weapons out of any kind of machine, but there were already plenty of weapons he could have converted. So why go for this stuff? I just don't get it."

"Excuse me, Mr. Foley?" the voice of Tucker's secretary, Tanya, sensuously breathed from the intercom routed through his office. "I just thought I would mention that you've received an invitation from Axion Labs to commemorate the start up of their new Cybertron computer in two weeks. I was wondering if you'll be attending so I can put it on the schedule."

"Uh…sure. Yeah…yeah, I'm going," Tucker replied, his attention focused on more immediate matters. But a second later, as what Tanya said began to sink in, his eyes suddenly snapped open wide.

"The Cybertro…oh, no,…," he shuddered with dread as he went back over the list of components that SkulkTech had taken.

"What is it?" Valerie asked as Tucker scanned his computer screen over the list of items he knew were missing, his jaw hanging open in horror as he realized what Technus could use such technology for.

"That's what he's going to do…" Tucker uttered under his breath, his voice rising to a panic as he reached for his cell phone. "I've gotta call Danny!"

Unfortunately, back on the streets of Amity Park, Danny and Sam had other concerns as they barricaded themselves behind a parked car, with Ember blasting wave after wave of attacks at them. In fact, between the howl of Ember's guitar and the force of the shock waves from her endless onslaught, neither one of them could even hear the ring tone or feel the vibrations of their cell phones when Tucker tried to call.

"You two are going to pay for this!" Ember shouted, continuing to blare out her musical assault. "I don't know what you did or how you did it! But I KNOW you did it!"

"Do you even know what she's talking about?!" Sam called out over the din, "What did we ever do to HER…? I mean, you know…lately!"

"You got me! But if you don't know what we did and if I don't know what we did and if even SHE doesn't know what we did…!" Danny answered, wracking his brain before he made a sudden realization, shooting his head up from behind the car. "HEY!! THEN WHAT ARE YOU EVEN MAD AT US FOR?!?!"

"Oh yeah, right! As if you don't know!" Ember shot back, firing another burst that nearly took Danny's head clean off as he dived behind the car again.

"Okay, going around in circles makes me dizzy!" Sam remarked dryly, beginning to grow more aggravated than confused.

"Then maybe it's time we stopped this stupid ride and got off!" Danny replied with a determined frown. With that, the pair flew out from behind the car, streaking towards an enraged Ember at top speed.

* * *

"I can't reach them," Tucker, the urgency in his voice growing as he tried dialing again. "Come on, we don't have time for this…!"

"HEL-LO!" Valerie interrupted, closing her hand over Tucker's cell phone as he looked up to see her transforming into her ghost hunting armor. "What do you need them for? When it comes to fighting ghosts, they're not the only game in town, you know."

" Uh, Valerie? I'm not so sure that…WOOP!" Tucker's worried voice transformed into a yelp as Valerie grabbed his shirt and yanked him away.

"Oh, would you relax?" Valerie replied, dragging him to the elevator. "Besides, it's about time I got a shot at these guys, too."

* * *

Back on the streets, Danny and Sam were concentrating solely on their current fight with Ember in the streets of Amity Park. Taking the offensive, Sam charged in, forming a wide Ghost Ray battleaxe and quickly trading heavy strikes with Ember's guitar. Both sides were swinging with everything they had, but while Sam was clearly wielding the larger weapon, Ember was managing to stand her ground. And the rage on her face more than showed her resolve as she hacked away wildly against Sam's vicious attacks. If Ember was going to make them certain of anything, it was this…she-wasn't-going-ANYWHERE.

Not that Danny or Sam had any intention of relenting, either. As the body of Ember's guitar once again recoiled off the head of Sam's battleaxe, all it took was a pair of well-timed Ghost Rays from Danny to send it flying out of her hands. Weaponless, but still enraged, Ember whirled around towards Danny with a glare, her flaming ponytail blazing in fury. But it was then that the numbers game finally caught up to her as Sam unleashed a wave of Ghost Ray strands from her fingertips, ensnaring Ember's wrists, ankles and throat before yanking back hard, forcing her to her knees. Thrashing wildly, Ember tried to force herself free. But Sam instantly responded, not only by tightening Ember's bonds, but twice snapping a Ghost Ray strand from her free hand into the street like a whip in front of Ember's knees, quickly silencing any further protest.

"Oh…you are SO HOT when you do that," Danny sighed with a smitten grin, practically breathing down the back of Sam's neck.

"Down, boy," Sam purred seductively with a tender smile, reaching back and softly tickling Danny under his chin before the pair turned their aggression back towards Ember. "Now, as for YOU…you obviously haven't noticed, but we're in the middle of a REALLY bad day right now and we are in NO mood to deal with you! So whatever your problem is…!"

"Aaawww, poor babies!" Ember responded sarcastically as she furiously tried to struggle free once again. "You're both flying around, stitching ghosts together like rock band patches on leather jackets and YOU'RE having the bad day!"

"Wait…are you talking about Skulker and Technus…? How did you know about…?" Sam started to ask, exchanging perplexed glances with Danny before her sense of reason finally regained its hold. "Hey, wait a minute! Are you kidding me with this?! THAT'S what you're mad about?!"

"Yeah, what do YOU care? It's not like YOU'VE got anything to…" Danny began to chime in, until a shocking thought suddenly flashed into his brain. "Whoa…hang on a second…"

"What?" Sam asked as Danny walked around so he could see Ember face-to-face.

"Just…something Skulker said to me a couple of months back…," Danny mused as he leaned down, looking Ember dead in the eyes with a suspicious gaze.

Ember wasn't about to dignify Danny's accusing eyes with any sort of reply, turning away from him with an angry huff. But Danny refused to take his eyes off her, his expression never wavering. After a few moments, Ember snapped a quick glance back in Danny's direction to see him still staring at her. And even as she looked away again, Danny noticed an uncomfortable look in her eyes and a faint blush slowly rising in her cheeks. A reaction which was all the answer Danny needed to his unspoken question as his eyes suddenly went wide with shock.

"…No…," he breathed, his jaw hanging open in disbelief. "YOU?!?! YOU'RE Skulker's mystery girlfriend?!"

"WHAT?!"Sam blurted out, equally stunned. "You can't be serious!"

"And just what is THAT supposed to mean?" Ember immediately shot back, tossing a stern glance over her shoulder in Sam's direction.

"Oh, uh…well, I mean…," Sam trailed off as her eyes darted back and forth, realizing full well that anything more she had to say was only going to make the subject all the more uncomfortable…especially for her and Danny.

"Alright, listen," Danny asserted, in no mood for anymore headaches at this point. "Enough is enough. Now if Sam lets you go, are you going to calm down and actually TALK to us?"

Ember didn't offer up a definite reply, simply hanging her head and grumbling under her breath. Danny, however, chose to take it as an agreement and turned to Sam with a nod, signaling her to release Ember from her bonds. A moment later, Ember was free, rubbing her sore wrists, although the sneer on her face made it all-too- clear that she was far from grateful.

"Look, I'm not about to defend who I spend time with to YOU two," Ember stated defiantly. "When it comes to that lummox, the bottom line is that at this point, I've come to expect a certain level of routine in our relationship. He goes after you, you kick his butt. He sulks around in the Ghost Zone for a week or two-during which time, I have him all to myself-and the game starts all over again…"

"So when I heard he went after you again, I just decided to wait for him. I figured it would only take a couple of hours for you two to toss him back into the Ghost Zone…He never shows up," Ember continued, her mind drifting back over the events of the day, starting with her waiting at Skulker's island. "So I come here to look for him, I finally track him down and what happens? I find him flying around all over town WITH THAT POINDEXTER'S FACE IN HIS CHEST!!"

"Now, when it comes to relationships, there's something you need to know about me," Ember added once she was done with her flashback, snapping up her guitar and turning to Danny and Sam with a wild-eyed glare. "I-DON'T-SHARE-WELL! Now…I don't know what happened…I don't CARE what happened…"

"…But whatever happened, I'm betting that it had SOME-thing to do with YOU two!"

"Uuuuuhhhhh, well…," Sam uttered as she and Danny exchanged nervous glances, realizing that there was at least a hint of truth in Ember's words.

"So now, I only have ONE question," Ember went on, clenching her guitar angrily and staring down Danny and Sam with menace. "What are you two going to do to FIX this?"

"Now hang on," Danny cautioned, stepping up to Ember assertively. "You may have SEEN what's been going on around here today, but obviously, you weren't paying attention very much. Because if you WERE, you'd know that WE aren't any happier with this whole arrangement than YOU are…"

"…So now, let me ask YOU a question. Do you want to get on board and actually help DO something? Or do you just want to just keep taking it out on us?"

"Hmmmm," was Ember's only response at first, actually taking the time to roll her eyes in thought. But it was only a momentary pause as she whipped back around, threateningly training her guitar back on Danny and Sam once again.

"I'd rather do both," she replied plainly with a stern glare. But her attitude was quick to change as Danny and Sam slammed her into the wall of a nearby building. And the next thing Ember knew, it was her turn to feel threatened as she was pinned to the wall by Danny, with Sam holding a whirring Ghost Ray chainsaw blade just millimeters from her throat and both of them scowling in anger.

"Then again…we CAN do this in stages."

* * *

The cold, metal corridors of Axion Labs may have looked modern and streamlined. But the deafening silence might as well have made them an ancient tomb as Tucker and Valerie stealthily made their way through the building. And being quite familiar with the ins and outs of the lab through her father's work, Valerie had knowledge of almost all of the facility's security codes. Of course, Damon himself didn't know that, but Valerie didn't see any point in bringing it to his attention.

"This really doesn't feel right," Tucker whispered, nervously gazing around the darkened halls. "I'd feel a whole lot better if Danny and Sam were here."

"Oh, yeah, greeeaaat. If they could actually be bothered to…" Valerie muttered sarcastically, her voice trailing off, though not enough to avoid Tucker's notice.

"Uh, Valerie?" Tucker asked, tossing her a worried glance. "Did…something happen between you guys that I don't know about?"

"Huh?" Valerie exclaimed, caught off guard by Tucker's question.

"Well, it's just that you've seemed…well…a little down on them lately." Tucker answered. "All the grumbling and the frowning. You know if you have a problem with them, you really should talk to them about it. They'll listen to you."

"If 'I' have the problem? Are you kidding?! Why don't YOU have the problem?" Valerie argued. "I've seen the way they treat you. They ignore you, they blow you off! They're always running off somewhere without you! I don't know how you can stand there and act like there's nothing wrong with that. I thought those two were SUPPOSED to be your FRIENDS!"

"What I minute…you think just because it's become about the two of them more than the three of us…?" Tucker deduced before suddenly erupting into a wave of laughter, much to Valerie's surprise. "And you honestly don't think that's how it SHOULD be?"

"…What?" Valerie asked simply, clearly not in on the joke as Tucker continued to chuckle.

"Valerie…They're IN LOVE," Tucker explained. "Seriously, what part of that do you not get? Until they got together, do you remember ever seeing either of them that happy? Did you ever think Sam could even DO happy?"

"Well…," Valerie trailed off, unsure of exactly how to respond.

"I mean, come on, what do you really expect me to do?" Tucker went on, still amused as his voice took on a mocking tone, "'Oh hey, you guys are going to look for a place to make out? Can I tag along?' Would that sound fair to YOU?"

"Well, okay. Maybe…not when you…put it…like…THAT…," Valerie answered as her voice trailed off, shrugging her shoulders and bobbing her head with a hint of embarrassment before reasserting herself. "But I mean, what about NOW? Do you honestly think they would have let you come along here for this? Or would they have just taken off and left you behind like they always do?"

"Oh…gee. I wonder why they might POSSIBLY be worried about what might happen if I tagged along," Tucker responded jokingly. "Could it be the time I was nearly eaten by the giant ghost snake? Or maybe it was the time I was nearly eaten by the monster truck Desiree conjured up. No…wait…how about the time I was nearly eaten by the 50-foot sphinx with my FACE on it?! Are you sensing a pattern here?"

"Uuhhh…okaaaaayyy," Valerie answered, her eyes darting back and forth uneasily.

"Look, do I WANT to be going out there with them, kicking butt and being the big action hero? Okay, maybe SOME-times, ONCE in a while, sure," Tucker went on. "But I've been helping them out behind the scenes just as well as I EVER did. And you know what? They RESPECT that."

"Alright, alright! You've made your point!" Valerie shouted as she turned away, eager to change the subject.

"I'm not sure I have," Tucker replied with a light sigh, his tone suddenly becoming more serious. "Valerie listen…you gotta understand something. Me, Danny, Sam…we're not like Paulina or Dash or Star. We're friends because we WANT to be, not because we want something FOR it. They don't expect me to do something to make them look good. They don't expect me to be somebody to make it worth their while to hang out with. They don't expect me to give them my undivided attention every second of the day. And I don't do that to them…"

"…But you…you still think that way don't you?"

Valerie wasn't sure what to say as she kept her back to Tucker. In the back of her mind, maybe she just didn't feel there was anything TO say. Maybe it was because she knew that in the back of her mind, Tucker was telling the truth. And the thought of that just made her hang her head, feeling slightly ashamed. If she admitted that…how would that make her look?

Just then, Valerie felt Tucker set his hand on her shoulder, instantly regaining her attention. And as she turned her head, she quickly took notice of Tucker greeting her look with a gentle smile.

"Look, you want to do yourself a REALLY big favor? Forget EVERYTHING you think those other guys taught you," Tucker concluded, looking into Valerie's eyes with a reassuring gaze. "No one's expecting you to just instantly get what we're all about. You're still just a newbie in our crew…"

"…I'm just saying, if you really look…you might be surprised what you see."

There didn't seem to be anything for Valerie to say in reply. But as she responded to Tucker's words with a light smile of her own, the one feeling that seemed to come through more than anything else was almost a sense of relief. Still, now wasn't the time to relish in "touch-y/feel-y" moments. They had a job to do. And with that, the pair turned around and proceeded onward along the corridor, focusing their attention back on the task at hand.

* * *

It wasn't long before Tucker and Valerie finally found what they were looking for. Inside, the chamber housing the central hub of Axion Labs' Cybertron main computer was just as silent and listless as every other room they'd passed. Unfortunately, for Tucker, the surrounding hush was far more eerie than calming.

"Well, so far so good," Valerie commented, considerably less concerned. "Are we absolutely sure that this is where they're heading to?"

Suddenly, as if responding to her request, a beam of light flashed through the air, bashing into Tucker's chest and sending him flying into a connecting room. A split second later, the automatic door to the room slammed shut, trapping him inside.

"Okay, ask a stupid question…," Valerie answered with rolling eyes as Tucker pounded helplessly on the door, trying to free himself. But a moment later, a pair of laughing voices instantly drew Valerie's attention away from Tucker's predicament as she turned to see SkulkTech phasing into the room.

"Well, well, well, this IS convenient," Skulker remarked triumphantly. "Nothing like the proper bait to catch the right prey."

"Oh, yeah? Well, we'll just SEE who's gonna be the prey HERE, pal," Valerie shot back in defiance, activating her rocket sled and readying the heaviest weapons she had with a wicked smirk. "I've been looking forward to this all day."

"What a coincidence. So have I," Technus replied as Valerie charged into battle with a wild yell. "Activating 'Power Down' Protocols."

At that moment, a small transmitter popped out of SkulkTech's shoulder, firing a beam which struck Valerie head on. And suddenly, without warning, Valerie's weapons and armor completely shut down and reverted, sending plain, ordinary Valerie Grey flying through the air with a yelp. But it took only another second for gravity to take hold and Valerie hit the floor hard, bouncing to a stop directly under Skulktech's massive frame.

"Huh…? Oh no…! What…what's going on?!" Valerie exclaimed in confusion and panic, her eyes scanning frantically all over her body for her missing armor while Technus could only cackle with wild laughter.

"Foolish little girl! Who do you think MADE that armor for you?!" Technus responded gleefully.

"…no…" Valerie shuddered under her breath in disbelief, her face a wide-eyed mask of shock.

"Oh, come now. SURELY you must have wondered at SOME point after all this time," Technus went on mockingly, delighted at Valerie's reaction. "Or did you actually think you were SO special that it just came to you ALL-BY-ITSELF?"

"Uh, can we pick up the pace?" Skulker declared impatiently. "Our quarry is out there waiting for us."

"Ah, true, but with one slight correction," Technus replied with an evil grin. "The fact of the matter is, our REAL quarry is in HERE waiting for us."

"Huh…? What…what are you talking about?" Skulker blurted out in confusion, his gaze darting around the room until Tucker finally managed to hack his way back into the room, using his PDA.

"Whew…finally," he sighed in relief before turning his attention back to the crisis at hand. "Skulker, listen to me! You have to stop him! Technus didn't bring you here to help YOU! He came here to…!"

"Initiating Upload Sequence!" Technus commanded, cutting off Tucker's warning.

At that moment, the SkulkTech armor sprang to life, with compartments bursting open on all sides. But Skulker was completely unprepared for what happened next as dozens of cables sprang forth, slithering towards the central of hub of the Cybertron computer and plugging into every open port available.

"Wh…what is this all about?!" Skulker demanded in surprise and anger, finding himself completely locked out of SkulkTech's functions as Technus laughed in triumph. "I never agreed to THIS! You said…!"

"I SAID…that everything is going according to plan," Technus replied, his view screen popping out of SkulkTech's chest from a thick cable so that he could look Skulker square in the eye. "I NEVER said it was YOURS."

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Tucker explained. "Technus stole all those computer parts from the City Hall base for a reason. He was converting your armor into a giant flash drive so he could upload himself into the Cybertron computer system again."

"Clever deduction," Technus replied. "True, my earlier attempt at usurping this powerful computer was thwarted when the ghost child destroyed its central processor. But still, a good idea is a good idea. And just because something doesn't succeed the first time is still no reason to simply abandon it."

With that, an eerie glow surged along the cable leading from SkulkTech's armor and washed over the Cybertron central hub. Seconds later, a beam of light was transmitted from the hub to the Cybertron central processor, which was still waiting to be shot into space from the Axion Labs launching pad. Once the signal was received, the same spectral glow soon washed over the central processor.

Technus could only continue to laugh out loud as the first stage of his plan was coming to fruition. Tucker, however, was far from amused as he charged across the room, grabbing the cables leading from SkulkTech's armor and trying to pull them free. Unfortunately, all Tucker got for his effort was a cry of pain as an electrical surge punched through his body, sending him flying back and rolling along the ground in a daze.

"Tucker!" Valerie cried out, running over to help him up before stopping to think about how reckless he had just been. "Okay, you didn't actually think it was going to be that easy, did you?"

"Well, I was HOPING really hard," Tucker argued with a groan.

"Danger…High Voltage," Technus gloated tauntingly with amused laughter before turning his attention back to Skulker, whose control over the SkulkTech armor was still overridden, no matter how hard he struggled. "Aw, why so upset? After all, you wanted trophies, didn't you? And what chance do you think the ghost child and his girlfriend will have with every machine and computer on earth under MY control?"

"This is NOT what I wanted and you KNOW it!" Skulker protested, still struggling to undo the armor's override. "Prey has no value if it's simply GIVEN to someone! I have a reputation to uphold! One that I have earned through painstaking effort by acquiring every single trophy in my collection with my OWN hands…using my OWN skills!"

"Oooooooo, says the 'proud' and 'mighty' hunter who was all-too-willing to accept my help when he thought it gave him an advantage," Technus replied mockingly. "You of ALL people should know that a TRUE hunter creates his OWN advantages…!"

"...CASE-IN-POINT…"

With another howl of laughter, Technus unleashed another electrical burst of ecto-energy into the Cybertron hub, completey his transmission to link with the central processor. A second later, the energy surged outward from the processor, washing over all of Amity Park like a wave.

* * *

At the same time, Danny and Sam were flying over the skies of Amity Park, scanning the city for any signs of SkulkTech with an increasingly impatient Ember in tow. Once again, their attempts appeared quite fruitless. Of course, with no real leads to go on, there was little else they COULD do except fly around in circles. That is, until Technus' power surge ripped through the air. Finally, the trio had something to gain their attention, stopping dead in mid-air as the wave passed by overhead.

"Okay, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that whatever that was, we're not going to like it," Sam commented sarcastically.

Suddenly, as if in reply, Danny's cell phone instantly began vibrating. But what he and the others could hear was absolutely no ring tone at all. It actually sounded like…wild laughter. An insane cackle that every one of them recognized all-too well, but their suspicions were quickly confirmed as Danny flipped open his phone and looked at the screen, seeing none other than the smirking face of…

"Technus," Danny grumbled unhappily.

"Greetings, Ghost Child!" Technus announced through the speakers. "And you have TWO little partners now, I see. What better audience to bear witness as I, Technus, begin my electronic conquest of your world!"

"Can the drama, cyber-geek!" Ember responded into the phone, shoving Danny's face out of the way. "Where's Skulker?"

"Oh, I'm afraid my LESSER half is a little…'tied up' right now. Or should I say, 'tied IN'?," Technus answered teasingly. "But if you'd like to leave a message…"

"I swear, you scrawny little dweeb," Ember hissed through gritted teeth, "When I get my hands on you…!"

"Awww, has anyone ever told you you're PITIFUL when you're angry?" Technus continued to mock. "Once I, Technus, have re-integrated myself with this laboratory's new Cybertron computer system, do you honestly believe that your meager threats will be of ANY concern to me?"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute," Danny interrupted. "So…you're going after the Cybertron computer? Again?"

"And you're shouting out your whole plan in advance?" Sam added. "Again?"

"And you don't think it's going to take us…oh, I don't know…maybe TWO-WHOLE-MINUTES for us to bust in and shut you down?" Danny chimed in with a finish.

"Well, I suppose that depends on where your priorities lie," Technus answered simply, not appearing particularly threatened by Danny's pronouncements.

It only took the echoes of screaming voices in the city below to reveal why Technus was hardly concerned. Tearing wildly out of control through the streets at top speed was a transit bus loaded with passengers and emitting an eerie spectral glow. Technus must have used his access to the Cybertron computer to override its functions.

Frantically, the bus driver was stomping his foot on the brake, but to no avail. The bus refused to slow down. If anything, it was only moving faster. And the driver could only swerve back and forth on the wheel, hoping desperately to avoid slamming into pedestrians and other panicked motorists.

"Think fast, Ghost Child," Technus remarked with a cocky grin. "Catch me…or catch your bus. Either way, you haven't much time to make your choice…"

"…Of course, we already KNOW which decision you're going to make. Don't we?"

"Uuuuchhh…I really hate it when he's right," Danny groaned angrily, slapping his phone shut and diving into the streets below, with Sam right behind him.

"Hey! What about HIM!" Ember called after them, her mind still fixated on Technus while Danny and Sam's attention was focused on other matters. "Alright, fine! You know what? FINE! See if I care! I'll take that dipstick down MYSELF if I can't count on you two…!"

"Buuut…then again…they ARE the only ones who know where to FIND him, aren't they…?" she thought out loud, before finally slumping her shoulders in submission. "…Aw, darn it."

* * *

While Ember was left with no choice but to fly after Danny and Sam, Technus was simply laughing in delight inside Axion Labs as he felt his final victory close at hand. Meanwhile, Tucker and Valerie were still stuck inside the main computer room, with no weapons and no prepared strategy to stop Technus from taking over the Cybertron system. Valerie however, refused to accept defeat as she tried to search for any way to shut Technus down.

"I don't get it," she murmured quietly over to Tucker. "Why does he have to stay plugged in like that? If he wants to upload himself into the computer, why doesn't he just do it?"

"Maybe he can't," Tucker answered thoughtfully. "If I remember reading in the paper, your father and his team haven't installed the Cybertron's Operating System yet, have they?"

"Oh, not even close," Valerie replied. "I mean, a computer like THAT? You can't just run it off an old copy of Portals. They've had to build specific software for it completely from the ground up."

"That's what's taking him so long." Tucker deduced. "He's not just uploading himself, he's INSTALLING himself. And he won't have access to the entire system until he DOES."

"Maybe, but even with just a little bit of access, he can still do a TON of damage," Valerie added. "And we don't have any way to fight him or disconnect him. What do we do?"

"Hmmmmm…I wonder…," Tucker thought out loud. "I think I've got an idea."

"Ideas are good," Valerie replied. "You got any details?"

"Let's just say I'm having one of those 'once in a while' moments." Tucker answered simply. "But I can't do ANYTHING from in here. I have to get back to the bunker somehow."

"I might be able to manage that," Valerie whispered, lowering her voice. "Make a break for it when I tell you to."

"Wait. First…take this," Tucker interrupted, placing a PDA into Valerie's backpack. "Trust me…you'll need it."

"Okay," Valerie replied with a nod before turning her attention to the task at hand. "Alright, when I say…"

"…Now."

Before she had a chance to talk herself out of what she was about to do, Valerie charged towards the SkulkTech armor, grabbing the cables hooked up to the Cybertron computer and pulling as hard as she could. And sure enough, the same electrical burst that struck down Tucker jolted through Valerie's body as well, causing her to let out a shuddering cry of pain.

"Some distraction," Tucker commented.

But now was no time for criticism. Seizing the opening, Tucker was out the door and running down the corridors as fast as he could, leaving Valerie back in the room with Skulker and Technus.

"Hah! You children are rather slow learners, aren't you?" Technus gloated with mocking laughter. But his enjoyment of the moment was abruptly ended once he realized Tucker was no longer in the room.

"Hey…where did that other guy go?" he blurted out before returning his focus to his plan, ignoring Valerie. "Oh, well, no matter. Without his little ghost friends around to protect him, that boy is about as much a threat to me as you are without your armor."

Once again, Technus broke into another wave of laughter, its echo following Tucker out of the lab as he jumped on the motorized scooter he'd left parked outside and sped off towards City Hall. Valerie, meanwhile, was just recovering from her stunned condition. At this point, she wasn't sure what was worse…the voltage she had just absorbed, or Technus' endless taunting.

"Tucker," she groaned under her breath, "that SO better have been worth it."

* * *

Meanwhile, the transit bus Technus had taken over was still barreling at top speed through the streets of Amity Park, with Danny and Sam in hot pursuit. Flying as fast as they could, the pair was gradually managing to catch up. Unfortunately, there was still the question of what they were going to do once they actually DID.

"So how are we supposed to stop that thing?" Danny had to ask. "I mean, I've LIFTED a bus, sure. But I don't know if I could actually STOP one that's going at full tilt."

"Hmmmm, I think I've got an idea," Sam replied after a moment of thought. "But I can't do it alone."

"Just tell me what you need," Danny responded without hesitation.

"First off…I'm gonna need speed," Sam explained, focusing hard as her hands blazed with ecto-energy. "I just REALLY hope this works."

A few moments later, a deafening engine roar cut through the air as Sam ramped over a steep hill right behind the bus, having converted her ecto-energy into a Ghost Ray motorcycle. Of course, the passengers were too busy panicking for their lives to be impressed by Sam's feat. But Sam didn't have time to worry about that either, shutting out the terrified screams beside her as she rocketed past. At that moment, she only had two concerns on her mind…getting ahead of the bus and keeping her construct together. After being taught how to sharpen her focus by Dora Mattingly so she could control her flame powers, Sam had become able to convert her Ghost Ray energy into much more sophisticated shapes. And gradually, she had begun building on those skills in order to create even more complex forms. But this was the first time she had ever tried to construct anything on this scale and she was already feeling the strain. All she could do was try to maintain her concentration until she was far enough ahead to put the next phase of her plan into motion.

It wasn't long before Sam had managed to surge in front of the bus nearly half a block as she pulled hard to the side and skidded to a stop. But she didn't have time to take in the sight of the enormous vehicle bearing down on her as she dissolved her Ghost Ray motorcycle. In the same thought, she was already converting her ecto-energy into a giant Ghost Ray air cushion, hoping it would be soft enough not to damage the bus, yet strong enough to slow it down.

The bus drove hard into Sam's cushion with all its mass behind it. And the force of the impact alone was enough to drive Sam to one knee as she desperately tried to keep her construct intact. Within seconds, her efforts appeared to be paying off as the bus' speed began noticeably slowing. But it was still nowhere close to stopping and Sam's strength and concentration were both waning rapidly. At that moment, one thing was certain. She had no hope of halting the monstrous machine on her own. She needed help…and FAST.

Luckily, Sam had slowed the bus down enough for Danny to catch up with it much more quickly. And there wasn't a moment's hesitation as Danny grabbed firmly onto the frame of the bus and drove his feet into the ground hard, adding his strength to Sam's in an effort to finally grind the bus to a halt. Again, the bus' forward momentum began to dwindle, but even with Danny's feet grinding into the asphalt, it still wasn't stopping. And it wouldn't be long before Sam would have to dissolve her construct for her own safety. Faced with the possibility of a losing battle, Danny's mind quickly began racing as he tried to come up with an alternate plan.

Suddenly, the bus began to slow even more. The burden on Danny's arms and legs and on Sam's barrier lessened. It seemed as though they would finally manage to get the bus stopped after all. But how? Instinctively, Danny turned to look beside him. But as the image met his gaze, his eyes widened in shock.

"Ember?!" Danny exclaimed, more surprised than anyone at who had just come to their aid.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Ember quickly protested, even as she groaned with effort, holding the bus at bay. "Let's just get this over with and get back to business, okay?"

Danny was in no position to argue as he and Ember heaved back and Sam surged forward with all the strength they had. And with one last lingering squeal, the bus slowed to a crawl and finally ground to a stop. Danny and Sam could only sigh with welcome relief while Ember didn't appear to care one way or another. The passengers in the bus, however, definitely cared as they joined the driver in wild cheers of praise to their heroes. Cheers that Danny and Sam were more than happy to take in as they tried to catch their breath, instantly being reminded of what they had just put all their effort into.

"Stop for the autograph hounds later," Ember replied cynically before Danny and Sam had time to get swept up in everyone's gratitude. "We've got work to do."

Just then, another voice got their attention as Technus' grating laughter echoed through the streets once again. Snapping back to attention, the frustrated trio scanned the streets frantically until Danny finally spotted a traffic camera at a nearby intersection, emitting an eerie green glow.

"Is that all you've got, Technus?!" Danny shouted angrily towards the camera, having had just about enough of everything that had been going on.

"Funny you should ask!" Technus' voice called out from a different direction than Danny was facing.

There wasn't a single person who wasn't stunned by what happened next. At Axion Labs, the PDA Tucker had left for Valerie suddenly began vibrating, calling up a specific video feed window which caused her to gasp in shock. At the same time, Tucker had reached the bunker under City Hall. But as he looked for a working computer, he chanced to look over at the far wall and felt a pang of dread as he noticed one piece of equipment frighteningly missing. Meanwhile, back in the street, Danny Sam and Ember whirled around as a large object slammed into the ground behind them. And their jaws dropped at the sight as Tucker's giant black robot came clanking down the street towards them, with a menacing glow and Technus' cackling face inside its view screen.

"You just HAD to open your big mouth, didn't you?" Ember grumbled in Danny's direction as Technus forced Tucker's robot to lash out with a powerful laser, forcing all three of them to dive for cover.

* * *

"Well…now we know why he didn't take the robot," Valerie shuddered with worry as Technus' laughter continued to fill the computer lab.

Valerie had never felt so helpless as Danny and Sam fought for their lives alongside Ember on the PDA's view screen. But soon, she had something else to get her attention as a second window suddenly appeared with a text message inside.

"'Valerie, I've got a plan that can work. But I need your help. I know this isn't going to be easy, but I need you to find a way to hook Technus and the armor into the PDA,'" Valerie read silently, before looking up with confusion at the SkulkTech armor, with Skulker still inside. "Tucker, what are you up to?"

* * *

"Okay, I know that robot is city property, but this has just got to stop," Danny sounded, standing in the street with Sam and Ember as they blazed with ecto-energy, preparing to launch a united offensive against Tucker's Technus-controlled robot. "So…on three…"

"THREE!!!"

No sooner said than done as Danny, Sam and Ember let loose. A pair of full-power Ghost Rays from Danny joined alongside a wave of blue flame from Ember's guitar and a giant spiked ball and chain from Sam's own Ghost Ray energy, all headed towards Tucker's robot. But Technus simply laughed in response as he activated the 10-second defensive shield that Tucker's robot possessed, protecting it from the combined onslaught and catching the trio off-guard.

"My turn!" Technus announced as the robot's armaments sprang to life, ready to unleash a barrage of its own.

Technus was about to launch his attack from the safety of the robot's system while his installation process commenced, but just then, a hard shoulder block slammed into him from behind, sending him flying head-over-heels. Thinking quickly, Technus righted himself and whirled around to see who could have possibly struck him. But he was completely unprepared to see none other than Tucker staring back at him in the form of his "Doomed" avatar player, FRYERTUCK.

"Actually, it's MY turn," Tucker responded with a confident grin. "Or did you think I wouldn't have a backup to access this system?"

Immediately, Technus charged in retaliation, but a pair of well-placed laser pistol blasts was all it took to knock him away as the robot suddenly shut down. A moment later, Tucker's face appeared inside the robot's view screen, quickly easing Danny and Sam's confusion as to what was going on.

"Hey guys," Tucker greeted with a smile. "Miss me?"

"Tucker!" Sam called out in welcome relief.

"Are you guys alright?" Tucker asked before shifting his gaze to the figure just behind them. "Is that Ember?"

"We'll explain later," Danny answered. "How did you get in there? And what's with the 'Doomed' getup?"

"Remember those dream avatars I made to fight Nocturne?" Tucker explained from inside the City Hall bunker, wearing his dream helmet jacked into a running computer. "Well, I MADE them with a computer, right? So I figured, why wouldn't it WORK on a computer, too? Granted, it wasn't a guarantee. But offhand, I'd say it's theory proven, wouldn't you?"

"We should've known," Sam commented with a shrug. "That's Tucker for you. Always full of surprises."

"And here we were worried that we'd started the party without him," Danny added.

Back in the lab, Valerie had managed to catch the entire conversation from the video feed on Tucker's PDA. And while she wasn't able to take part in the conversation herself, she couldn't help but respond to what she saw with a warm smile. There was such a sense of teamwork and togetherness between them, not like what she thought she saw before. She also had to think that she was most likely going to owe Danny and Sam a big apology the next time she had the chance.

Tucker was right. It really WAS surprising what she could see…if she actually looked.

Suddenly, at that moment, Technus struck back, sending Tucker on a flight of his own and effectively killing the friendly mood. A second later, the robot roared to life, back under Technus' control and preparing to attack Danny, Sam and Ember once again.

"Uh-oh…break's over, ladies. Looks like it's time for Round Two," Danny remarked nervously as Technus faced off against Tucker inside the robot's system.

"If memory serves, we've shared this dance before, child," Technus stated without concern. "And I seem to recall that you were not particularly light on your feet."

"Maybe not. But you're not the only one who can make himself some upgrades," Tucker transmitted from the bunker, quickly rattling away on his keyboard to access a familiar code.

COMMAND/OPTIONS/INPUTCODE/TUCKRBOT + Enter

In that instant, Tucker's FRYERTUCK avatar disappeared in a flash of light, instantly transforming into a digital version of Tucker's robot, with Tucker's face glaring from the view screen. Technus was noticeably shaken by the change. But before he had time to regain his focus, Tucker lashed out, firing one of the robot's fists like a rocket which bashed into Technus' face before flying back and reattaching itself to the arm. Unfortunately, that was the only attack Technus would be unprepared for as he quickly recovered and was ready to fight back.

"Well, I've got his attention," Tucker mumbled to himself as Technus charged towards him. "Let's just hope it's enough. It's all up to you now, Valerie."

* * *

"Ow! Rrrrrrr…this is ridiculous!" Valerie shouted in frustration after just trying to touch even one of the cables connected from the SkulkTech armor to the Cybertron computer sent a jolt through her finger and all the way up her arm. "There has to be SOME way to get past this stupid…!"

Just then, she looked over as saw Skulker, still trapped inside the armor and still struggling in vain to regain control. And suddenly, an idea began to form inside her mind. Actually, in truth, it was not so much an idea as it was simple common sense. But Valerie had been too frazzled the entire time that the thought never really occurred to her until just that moment.

"Hey! Can't YOU do something?!" she hollered towards Skulker, who had been so caught up in himself that he had completely forgotten that Valerie was still in the room. "I mean, isn't that supposed to be YOUR armor, too?"

"Maybe you haven't been paying attention," Skulker argued as he continued to fight with the armor's controls. "What do you think I've been TRYING to do all this time?! Can't you see I can't do ANYTHING as long as I'm in here?"

"Well, why don't you just get-out?" Valerie asked back, not feeling particularly satisfied with Skulker's reply.

"…What…?" Skulker simply asked, as though Valerie had just spoken to him in another language.

"Well, you're a GHOST, aren't you?" Valerie explained. "And you don't look like you're getting the electroshock treatment that everyone else is when we go near that thing. Can't you just do your little…ghost…'phase'…thing or whatever and get out of that thing so you help us get your roommate unplugged?"

"Uuuuuuuhhhhhh…," was all Skulker seemed able to say, suddenly looking very apprehensive.

"What?" Valerie asked impatiently, completely at a loss as to what Skulker could suddenly be so uncertain about.

"Uh, well," Skulker stammered, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to come up with the best way to answer. "Uuuhhh…You can't look!"

"Wh…Are you KIDDING?" Valerie responded, in complete disbelief at Skulker's absurd request. "I don't know if you've noticed, but this isn't exactly the time to be getting bashful."

"And this isn't the time to be debating the issue, either!" Skulker argued, "Now DON'T-LOOK."

"Oh, for crying out…," Valerie muttered in a huff as she turned away and shut her eyes.

Skulker took an extra moment to make sure that Valerie was true to her word. But once he was confident that no one was watching, he entered his phasing state, leaving the confines of his armor and floating overhead in his true form, a tiny ectoplasmic blob, no bigger than a coffee cup. It was a form Skulker hated for anyone to see, especially an enemy. But now wasn't the time for nursing fragile egos. If he was going to help stop Technus from carrying out his plan, he had to work fast. Pensively looking over his shoulder every so often to make sure he couldn't be seen, Skulker began reaching for the cables.

* * *

Back on the streets, Danny, Sam and Ember were still going all-out fighting Tucker's robot, which had remained under Technus' control. So far, the fight had been a virtual standstill, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage. A fact that was quick to drive Danny to frustration as he let loose with a pair of freezing Ghost Rays, hoping to finally bring the battle to an end.

But once again, the robot countered as a small flamethrower popped out of a compartment on its right arm, blasting a searing stream of flame to counter Danny's freezing attack. Instinctively, Sam rushed in between Danny and the robot, unleashing a column of her ghostly flame that easily overwhelmed the robot's blast. This time, however, a compartment opened on the robots left arm, revealing a nozzle that unleashed a cloud of freezing gas, which Sam was lucky to dodge in time.

"Ho-kay," Sam commented with a slightly irritated tone. "Looks like Tucker's been tricking this thing out to deal with all KINDS of situations."

"No kidding," Danny replied. "Something tells me we're going to have to have a little talk about that."

But plans for the future were going to have to wait. What mattered at that moment was what was happening then and there as Tucker's robot unleashed another wave of freezing gas towards Sam. Fortunately, Danny was quick to respond, flying in front of her and blocking the cloud with a thick wall of ice.

"What do you say?" Danny asked over his shoulder to Sam as the robot's flamethrower trained itself on his frozen barrier. "Care to switch dance partners?"

"Sounds good to me," Sam answered, throwing a sheet of flame to counter the flamethrower's fire just as Ember stepped back onto the battlefield, brandishing her guitar wickedly.

"Then maybe what we ought to do for this little number is change the beat," she announced, blasting a deafening chord which struck Tucker's robot in the form of a giant fist and sent it careening into a brick wall.

At first, Ember was quite pleased with her efforts as Tucker's robot lay motionless in the rubble of her attack. But a second later, the robot sprang back to its feet with two large, powerful speakers bursting from its shoulders. And hitting back, it struck a chord of its own, creating a sound wave of such crushing force that Danny, Sam and Ember were blown back into a row of parked cars.

"Oooooo-kay…did NOT see that coming…," Ember groaned in a daze as Danny and Sam tried to recover as fast as they could.

* * *

Tucker, meanwhile, was still struggling with Technus in cyberspace. For the most part, Tucker had been able to hold his own. For every punch that Technus threw, Tucker retaliated with one just as strong. But at the same time, he wasn't gaining any ground either. Of course, Tucker knew full well at this point that Technus was merely toying with him. He was simply trying to keep Tucker and the others at bay until his installation into the Cybertron computer system had been completed.

Surging forward, Technus slammed into Tucker's robot avatar, gradually forcing it back. However, Tucker was quick to counter as the view screen on his virtual robot slid down, revealing a massive cannon in its chest that blasted Technus with a white hot laser stream, sending him flying backwards and landing flat on his face.

"Now THAT'S how I roll!" Tucker gloated, noticing that Technus had definitely been weakened by his last attack. "So what do you have to say now, huh?"

Just then, a series of low, dull beeps could be heard, indicating that something had just happened. Sure enough, as Technus picked himself up and looked around, he noticed an uplink portal opening right behind him. There was only one thing that could mean. And Technus could only cackle with triumphant laughter, sensing complete victory just mere seconds away.

"I say that you are far too late, child!" he announced, retreating to the portal at top speed. "For when next we meet, you will be referring to I, Technus, as your new lord and master!"

Tucker probably could have stopped Technus from reaching the uplink. But instead, he merely stayed where he was and allowed Technus to flee. Still, as he watched Technus convert his body into pixilated data and disappear through the portal, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry as his heart began to pound.

"Valerie…I just hope you were able to do what you had to," he thought out loud as his avatar logged out of the system.

* * *

It took less than a second for Technus to pass through the uplink portal. And as he materialized on the other side, he could only laugh wildly as he felt all the pieces falling into place. When he was first fused with Skulker's armor, his original plan had been to simply wait it out until a better opportunity had presented itself. And maybe his new partnership with Skulker would have allowed him the chance to take out Danny Phantom and Sam Tasma while he was at it. But when he had seen the newspaper article about the new Cybertron system after their first fight, he could never have imagined that superior opportunity would have found him so quickly. And Skulker's armor was the perfect way to reach out and grab it. Now, but for a few minor setbacks, everything was coming to fruition and Technus couldn't have been more pleased. He'd finally won.

"Excellent! EXCELLENT!!" he declared, unable to contain himself. "At last, I, TECHNUS, master of…! Uh…wait a minute…Something amiss here…"

Having merged with the Cybertron central processor before, Technus was well acquainted with how it felt. The surge, the rush, the unbridled freedom. It made him feel like a giant. But this was nothing like those times at all. If anything, he felt…small…compressed. It was almost as if he was confined somewhere.

It wasn't until he actually took a moment to look around that he saw what was really going on. He wasn't outside, merged with the central processor. In fact, he was inside the desktop of someone's computer, with his face as a program icon labeled "TECHNUS". Only when he looked up and saw Valerie smirking down at him from beyond the screen did Technus realize which desktop he was on. Instead of the Cybertron system, he'd been uploaded into Tucker's PDA, which was hooked up to the SkulkTech armor courtesy of Skulker. Skulker, meanwhile, was concealed behind the SkulkTech armor to avoid being seen, but nevertheless, was still chuckling in amusement.

"Wh…what?! What's going on here?!" Technus shouted, unaware of Skulker's rewiring job.

"Let's just say we flip-flopped a little piece of advice you gave to Danny a while back," Tucker explained, his face suddenly appearing in a chat room window right next to Technus' icon. "'If you wish to multitask, you must learn how to split your focus.' You were so busy trying to distract US, you never even thought about THEM...OR keeping your uplink protected."

* * *

As Technus gasped in shock and tried desperately to free himself from the program icon, Danny, Sam and Ember were dealing with their own confusion as they realized the fight with Tucker's robot had suddenly ground to a halt. In fact, the once rampaging robot had completely powered down and was now merely standing before them, still and lifeless. It wasn't until Tucker's face reappeared on the view screen that Danny or Sam felt any kind of relief.

"Danny! Sam! Are you guys alright?" Tucker was quick to ask.

"We're fine," Danny answered simply, although with a lingering hint of bewilderment. "But…what did you do?"

"You're about to find out," Tucker replied before turning his attention back to his PDA's chat room window. "Valerie, transmit the file using the program, 'BACKDOOR'…now!"

"You got it," Valerie responded with a nod, dragging a panicking Technus icon towards the program labeled "BACKDOOR" and clicking SEND.

"No! NO!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Technus could only cry out helplessly. But there was nothing he could do as a beam from Tucker's PDA transmitted into the sky, carrying him along with it and disappearing over the horizon.

With that, Technus was gone. And without his overrides, Valerie's armor reformed over her and Skulker was free to re-integrate with the SkulkTech suit, regaining control and returning it to normal. At first, they were both just relieved. But when they turned to face each other, they were instantly reminded of the situation at hand and quickly took to the defensive, with each producing an arm cannon trained on the other and ready to fire.

"Your move, Big Guy," Valerie declared, without so much as batting an eyelid.

Skulker wasn't about to back down either. But after a few seconds of a heated standoff he was the first to act, finally harnessing his weapon and taking a more eased stance.

"Another time, perhaps…when I'M in the mood," he replied plainly, activating his jet pack and taking off. A second later, he phased through the ceiling and was gone himself.

"Hmph…your funeral," Valerie added with a smirk, feeling it was time for her to leave as well. Activating her rocket sled, she whirled around and tore off down the corridor.

* * *

"Everything okay on that end?" Valerie asked as her face appeared on the robot's view screen next to Tucker's.

"Yeah, they're fine," Tucker answered. "I was just regaling them with the details of my brilliant plan."

"If you do say so yourself," Sam joked while Danny simply rolled his eyes in amusement. "So how did you get rid of him?"

"Let's just say that Technus wanted access to every computer on earth and now he's got it. Just not the kind he was hoping for," Tucker explained. "'BACKDOOR' is a program I had written for my systems in case I needed to dump information fast and keep it out of the wrong hands. What it does is transmit files randomly from one computer to another, all over the world. But it only stays in one system for a hundredth of a second before it transmits to the next one. I'd say he's been bounced out of about, oh…his 12 THOUSANDTH computer by now. And the beauty of this system is, once the information is out there, the only one who can find it again is yours truly."

"Pretty slick," Danny had to admit before pointing to Tucker's robot. "But I think now, you'd better get that thing out of here before people start showing up and asking too many questions."

"Good point," Tucker agreed.

"Okay, but…what about HER," Valerie had to ask, tossing a glance in the direction of Ember, who was still standing behind Danny and Sam and simply sneered in reply.

"We've got her covered," Sam answered with a reassuring nod.

"Okay, we'll see you when you get back," Valerie stated, looking slightly uneasy before taking one last glace towards Danny and Sam. "Oh, and Danny? Sam? I just wanted to say…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Danny replied, sharing a confused look with Sam while Tucker merely responded with a knowing grin.

"Sorry for what?" Sam asked.

"I just AM, okay? Leave it at that," Valerie answered quickly, not feeling quite up to explaining herself. "See you guys later."

With that, Valerie and Tucker both signed off, leaving the robot's view screen black as it took off, following a basic retrieval function to return to City Hall. Meanwhile, Danny and Sam could only shrug at each other, completely bewildered as to what Valerie's last words meant. But the sound of a rocket behind them soon turned their attention to other matters as Skulker, now with the SkulkTech armor all to himself and a sinister smirk, arrived on the scene.

"Baby…," Ember breathed with a touching smile as she ran over to him. But any hopes of a mushy reunion were dashed as Ember pulled out her guitar and smashed Skulker across the face, spinning his head like a top.

"Ow! HEY!" Skulker yelled out, taking a moment to straighten his head.

"You jerk! THAT'S for staying out all this time and not CALLING me!" Ember shouted angrily.

"Quit smothering me, Woman!" Skulker argued, leading to a heated stare down which lasted for several seconds before Ember finally shrugged her shoulders and turned away.

"Well, at least you got some decent new duds out of all this," she commented before jumping into Skulker's arms, tracing circles on his chest with her finger and tossing him a seductive smile. "I gotta say…me LIKE."

"…," Danny and Sam shuddered in unison, nauseated at the sight of Ember taking time out to snuggle up against Skulker's cheek.

"Of course, it's not just fashionable. It's FUNCTIONAL," Skulker announced, popping a giant cannon out of his right arm as he and Ember turned to Danny and Sam with wicked intentions. "It's loaded with a whole arsenal of new weapons that I simply can't WAIT to try…!"

But before Skulker had a chance to act or even finish his thought, a wave of freezing Ghost Ray energy flashed through the air, trapping both him and Ember in a glacier of ice. A blast that could have only come from Danny as he and Sam stood smirking in front of their frozen enemies.

"Now did you ACTUALLY think we weren't going to see that coming?" Sam asked sarcastically as Danny whipped out the Fenton Thermos.

"Yep, it never fails. The more things change…the more they stay the same," Danny sighed, sucking Ember and Skulker into the Fenton Thermos before turning to Sam, sharing an amused grin.

* * *

Movie night couldn't have come too early for Danny and Sam. After three enemies they had to deal with over the course of one day, and all the headaches that came with it, they were in definite need of a well-deserved break. And Sam was all-too willing to take advantage, sitting on Danny's lap in one of the plush chairs in her basement. Danny had no complaints either as he grabbed a piece of popcorn from the box Sam was holding, delicately placing it into her mouth before Sam treated him to a sip of soda. A set of soft, lingering kisses quickly followed between them, but then, they were cuddling cheek-to-cheek and turning their attention back to the action on the home theater screen.

"You know, there's something that's been bothering me a little," Tucker spoke up from the chair beside them, watching the movie with a slightly worried gaze.

"Awww, what's wrong?" Sam asked teasingly. "Are we cuddling too close?"

"Are we kissing too much?" Danny chimed in with an equally playful tone before he and Sam leaned in for another quick peck.

"Yes, but I've made peace with that," Tucker answered curtly, causing Danny and Sam to roll their eyes in amusement. "Actually, I'm a little worried about what's next. I mean, when you think about all those alternate future ghosts that Clockwork brought here…well, Valerie made a pretty good point that they've been showing up here anyway. I mean, we've already seen two of them, right? I was just thinking if…you know…maybe…"

"Wait a minute," Danny chimed in, cutting Tucker off. "Are you wondering about that ghost, Box Lunch?"

"You mean that little girl who was supposed to be the daughter of…," Sam started to say before a look of utter disgust crossed her face. "Oh, don't even JOKE."

"I know, I know!" Tucker replied defensively before turning back to the movie, not wanting to consider the possibility himself. "I'm just wondering…what if…you know?"

* * *

Deep within of the Ghost Zone very little really happens. Most ghosts may be troublemakers, but they still have a tendency to keep to themselves. An attitude that makes things peaceful, but nevertheless, very, VERY boring. And bored was exactly the word to describe how the Box Ghost was feeling as he floated aimlessly through the void. With nothing to do, he was strongly considering, as most ghosts do, a quick trip back to earth to see if a little mayhem would fill his need for excitement.

But just then, he happened to glance out of the corner of his eye and see something just over a cluster of floating rocks that caught his attention. Flying over what turned out to be a large canyon, he couldn't believe his eyes as he landed at the base of what could only be described as a…

"Great Box Mountain," he whispered in awe, gazing upward at the towering pile of small boxes looming over him. "They said it didn't exist. Actually…they never said it DID exist…"

"But no matter!" he announced, chuckling wickedly as he flew into the air, with the boxes swirling wildly around him. "With this glorious wonder, I will have an unlimited arsenal all my own. FOR I AM THE BOX…!!"

"Um…excuse me," a tiny voice sounded, cutting off the Box Ghost's gloating as he looked down to see the Lunch Lady ghost floating right where the pile of boxes once stood. "Would those happen to be the containers I was planning to use for my box lunches?"

"Uuuuuuhhhhhhh," The Box Ghost responded nervously as his gaze darted about the boxes surrounding him, "maybe."

"WHAT!! YOU WERE STEALING MY BOXES?!?!?!" The Lunch Lady bellowed as her voice rose to a deafening roar. A second later, she was looking over the Box ghost with wild eyes, flaming hair and her entire body blazing with ecto-energy.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO COLLECT ALL THOSE BOXES?! PREPARE TO DINE ON A THREE-COURSE DINNER OF PAIN!!!" she hollered down at that Box Ghost, whose arms went limp as he responded the only way he could.

"…oh poop…"

The End


End file.
